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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford went 4-for-7 at the plate, including three home runs, four runs scored and four RBI to help lead the Longwood University softball team to a pair of hard-fought victories at Virginia Tech (27-12) in a thrilling doubleheader on Wednesday evening. The Lancers (33-11) defeated the Hokies, 6-5, in eight innings in game one before earning a 5-4 victory in the nightcap. With her three homers on the night, Baltzell increased her program-best season total to 22. Senior Brooke Short/Hurt paced the team with a .750 (6-8) average on the day and added a pair of RBI. Short (6.0 ip, 2 er, 7 hits, 1 so) and sophomore Libby Morris/Dillwyn (5.1 ip, 3 er, 7 hits, 1 so) each picked up a win in the circle. Longwood will travel to the University of Florida for a three-game weekend series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m. followed by the series finale on Sunday, April 21 at 12 p.m.

Longwood scored its first run of the day in the top of the first in game one when Baltzell ripped a one-out, solo home run to center field. Short followed with a double to left center and sophomore Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, California (2-6, 1 run) earned a walk before freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (2-7, 3 RBI) brought both runners home on a two-bagger of her own, giving the Lancers an early 3-0 advantage. The Hokies retaliated in the bottom of the inning, putting runners on first and second with an error and a walk, and scoring both on a two-RBI single up the middle to make it a one-run game.

The Lancers' side was quickly retired in the second after sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (3-8, 1 run, 1 RBI) hit a two-out single, but was caught stealing second on the next play. Virginia Tech took advantage of its next at-bat with three consecutive singles to load the bases. The home squad then drew a walk to knot the game at 3-3, but it would not stay tied for long, as another sacrifice fly gave the Hokies a 4-3 edge.

Baltzell crushed her second long ball of the game in the top of the third to erase the Virginia Tech lead and make it a 4-4 game. The squad looked to regain the lead in the same inning with singles from Sciacca and Short, and a free base from Adams after she was hit by a pitch. However, the bases were left loaded as senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (1-7) flied out and Short was thrown out at the plate on the same play. After a leadoff single for the Hokies, the Lancers' defense shut down the side by catching a runner stealing second and forcing two groundouts. In the fourth, Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Calif. (1-5, 1 run) reached on a fielder's choice, Baltzell walked and Short tagged a RBI single to right field, putting the Lancers ahead once again, this time at 5-4.

The Hokies left one stranded in the bottom of the fourth, and Longwood went three-up and three-down in the top of the fifth. The home team threatened in the bottom of the fifth, as the leadoff batter doubled to right center and advanced to third on a fly out. After a groundout, a walk put runners on the corners, but freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia snagged a liner in front of first-base to get out of the inning with the Lancers' slim advantage still intact. Longwood left the bases loaded once again in the sixth when Barbour singled, and Baltzell and Short walked with two outs, but the Hokies caught a pop up to extinguish the opportunity. In the bottom of the sixth, the Lancers quickly put VT in a two-out hole, but a pair of Longwood errors extended the inning, although the home team was unable to capitalize and the score remained 5-4 in favor of the visitors.

In the seventh, Longwood left a runner on base and Virginia Tech knotted the game at 5-5 on a RBI single to right, sending the game to extra innings. Barbour was placed on second for the Lancers under the international tie breaker rule. A cleanly executed sacrifice bunt by Shinrock moved Barbour to third before she scored on the next play thanks to a RBI single to left field from Nishitomi, giving Longwood a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the first VT batter failed to lay down the sacrifice bunt and instead lined out for the first out. The Lancers defense ended the game with a fly ball and a ground out, securing the extra-innings victory.

Longwood rolled its momentum into the nightcap, as the squad jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Nishitomi led off with a bunt single before Baltzell crushed a home run to straight away center field. The Hokies pulled within one in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with a single, a walk and a hit batter before a sacrifice fly put VT on the board.

Neither squad was able to plate a run in the second, combining for three runners left on base. The Lancers extended their margin in the next inning, as Short roped a home run over the fence in center to make it 3-1. Virginia Tech threatened to close the gap in the home half of the inning with a leadoff double, but Longwood got out of the inning unscathed.

After Longwood was retired in order in the fourth, Virginia Tech posted a run in its next at-bat on one hit and a pair of Lancer errors to pull within one. However, Longwood added two more runs on RBI singles from Murphy and Adams in the fifth to take a 5-2 advantage.

Longwood left one runner on in each of the last two at-bats. Virginia Tech scored one run on a throwing error in the sixth to cut the deficit to two before adding its final run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough, as Longwood held on to take the 5-4 decision.