Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team split a pair of decisions on day one of its annual Spring Classic Tournament to move to 5-1 overall this season. The Lancers defeated Bucknell University (1-5), 7-0, in their first game on Saturday before falling to Stony Brook University (3-5), 3-2, in the nightcap. The Longwood offense was led by freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights, who went 2-for-4 at the plate with her first-career home run and one RBI. Senior Brooke Short/Hurt added to the Lancers attack with three hits in seven at bats, including one triple and one RBI. Longwood will take on Stony Brook tomorrow, February 24, at 12:30 p.m. before playing Bucknell at 2:30 p.m.

Longwood left a pair of runners on base in the bottom of first inning against Bucknell, but got on the board in the second, as Adams drilled a home run over the fence in right center to make it a 1-0 game. Bucknell threatened to go ahead, loading the bases in the top of the third, but sophomore catcher Megan Baltzell/Stafford (1 run, 1 RBI) picked off the lead runner at third to help the Lancers get out of inning unscathed. 

LU extended its lead in the bottom of the third with a two-out rally sparked by Baltzell, who walked and stole second to put herself in scoring position for Short, who ripped an RBI triple to right field. Senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (1-7, 1 run, 1 RBI) followed with an RBI single to left, knocking in Short, before freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-6, 2 runs, 2 RBI) hit her first-collegiate long ball to put the Lancers on top, 5-0. Neither squad plated a run in the fourth inning, but Longwood struck again in the home half of the fifth. Coming off the bench to pinch hit, freshman Hannah Burmeister/Chesapeake (1-1, 1 RBI) drilled a RBI double to left center. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (2-6, 1 run, 1 RBI) singled to right to knock in Burmeister to give the Lancers their 7-0 margin of victory. 

Short recorded the win in the circle for Longwood, allowing just two hits while striking out four in four innings of work. Senior Ashley Cornell/Portsmouth picked up the save with just one hit and four strikeouts in the final three innings of the contest.

“I'm proud of the girls for playing solid softball for seven innings,” said head coach Kathy Riley. “We pitched well and hit with runners in scoring position. Those are two of the most important aspects of the game and I was happy to see us excel in those areas.”

In its second game of the day against Stony Brook, Longwood plated one run in top of first, as Nishitomi hit a leadoff triple and beat the throw home after Baltzell hit into a fielder's choice to give LU an early advantage. Stony Brook answered with a homer in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at 1-1. The Seawolves added one more run in each of their next two at bats, thanks to a sacrifice fly and an error by the Lancers' right fielder Casey Lifsey/Portsmouth (1-5, 1 run), to take a 3-1 lead.

Longwood pulled within one in the fourth inning when Murphy walked, advanced to third on a single by Adams and scored on a single to right from freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia (2-7, 1 RBI). The Lancers left one on base in the fifth, but were retired in order in the final two innings to fall, 3-2, to Stony Brook.

Cornell allowed three hits and two runs in over one inning of work. Short pitched the remainder of the game, allowing one hit and one run while striking out three.

“I thought we did a nice job battling back in the last few innings with some quality at bats,” added Riley. “Unfortunately, we waited too late and didn't make enough of the small plays in order to come away with two wins today.”