Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team split a pair of decisions on Saturday to open play at its own Longwood Invitational Tournament. The Lancers defeated the University of Rhode Island (1-8), 9-1, in six innings before falling, 9-4, against Delaware State University (7-2). Junior Megan Baltzell/Stafford paced Longwood with a .500 average (4-8) on the day, along with four RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore classmates Jamie Barbour/Amelia (.333) and Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (.286) each added a pair of hits, as well. Freshman pitcher Jenna Carnes/Six Mile, S.C. earned the win in the circle for the Lancers, striking out three and allowing no earned runs in the complete-game performance against URI. Longwood (7-5) will wrap up its tournament with two more games tomorrow against Delaware State at 1:15 p.m. and against the University of Delaware at 3:30 p.m.

"We were happy to have a chance to get better today and although we didn't play well, days like today will go a long way in determining just who we are in May," said head coach Kathy Riley. "I know these girls will come back tomorrow with some great softball."

Rhode Island made noise in its first trip to the plate with two hits, but a diving play by junior Casey Lifsey/Portsmouth (1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI) in right and a caught fly ball by freshman Justina Augustine/Warrenton (1-4, 1 run) in center ceased the early momentum. In the Lancers' first trip to the dish, sophomore Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI) drove a liner to third, stole second and advanced on a wild pitch, but was tagged out at home trying to score on another loose ball. The Rams pulled ahead in the top of the second, using an error and a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 edge. Longwood answered in the home half of the inning, though, walking the bases loaded before Lifsey poked a RBI single through the left side, and Murphy and Adams drew RBI walks to put the Lancers on top, 3-1. The squad continued the rally, as Baltzell grounded out to plate a run and junior Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, Calif. (1-5, 1 run, 1 RBI) had a hard hit ball sail through the shortstop's legs, making the score 6-1.

URI strung together back-to-back singles in the top of the third, but Carnes forced a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to get the Lancers out of the inning unscathed. Longwood added one run in the bottom of the fourth when Baltzell scored Murphy on a groundout to take a 7-1 edge. Both sides then went three-up and three-down in the fifth, but in the bottom of the sixth, Baltzell drilled a two-run home run to center, sealing the 9-1, walk-off win.

In the final game of the day, Delaware State pulled ahead 3-0 in the first inning thanks to a homer to left center. Longwood started to chip away at the margin in its first trip to the plate, as junior Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Calif. (1-6, 1 run, 1 RBI) sent a ball skidding through the third baseman's legs to score Baltzell. In the Lancers' next at-bat, Barbour led off with a base hit deep in the gap between first and second, but a double play snuffed out the momentum. Neither side was able to get on the board in the third, but Longwood erased the difference in the bottom of the fourth. Baltzell singled to get things started before Sciacca and Shinrock notched a RBI double and RBI single, respectively, to knot the score at 3-3. Freshman Taylor Hedrick/Fredericksburg (1-6, 1 run, 1 RBI) followed with a good bunt to score Shinrock and give Longwood a slight, 4-3 advantage.

DSU regained the upper hand in the fifth on another long ball, this time over the wall in center to pull in front, 7-4. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Baltzell singled and Sciacca walk, but the Lancers were unable to capitalize. The Hornets walked the bases loaded in the sixth before scoring twice more to reach the 9-4 margin of victory.