FARMVILLE, Va. – Justina Augustine and Casey Lifsey each hit a pair of home runs and Megan Baltzell equaled the former Big South career home run record, as Longwood picked up a pair of victories to sweep a Saturday afternoon doubleheader over Gardner-Webb (11-26, 3-13) at Lancer Field.

Lifsey and Augustine hit back-to-back home runs to help Longwood (19-21, 13-4) post a four-run comeback in game one and walk-off with a 5-4 victory. Meanwhile, the Lancers scored six runs in the first two innings to take a 6-0 advantage en route to a 9-1 victory in five innings of play.

For Lifsey, the two home runs marked her first multi-home run game of her four-year career. It was part of 2-for-5 day, where she knocked in three runs and scored a pair.

Augustine hit a home run in each contest, as it marked the first time in her two seasons she has hit two homers in the same day. After having just one round-tripper in her first season, the sophomore has added six this season including the fourth time in her last seven games. She ended the day with a 4-for-7 day at the plate with four RBI and three runs scored.

"Justina took that leadoff spot for us about three weeks ago and since we moved her there she has given us a big lift," said head coach Kathy Riley. "She is very comfortable being in that spot."

Baltzell added her 18th blast of the season to tie the former all-time Big South career record, held by Liberty's Jessica Moore and Coastal Carolina's Kory Hayden. She matched the record despite the fact that the nine home runs from her freshman season are not counted towards the Big South record books as Longwood did not become a member institution until the 2013 campaign. However, Hayden hit a blast against Radford to reclaim the career home run lead with 59.

Elizabeth McCarthy (15-10) started each of the two games in the circle, tossing a combined 11.0 innings and giving up five runs on 12 hits and a walk. She also added eight strikeouts. McCarthy – who posted 145 strikeouts as a freshman – is now up to 140 on the season and now owns the fourth and fifth all-time marks in season strikeouts in the past two years.  

"She didn't pitch as well early in the game," Riley said. "We had a bit of trouble getting her into a good rhythm in the first three innings. We made an adjustment and let Megan [Baltzell] call pitches and that made it easier to get Biz into a rhythm. I think she worked her way into having better control and movement."

With the pair of wins, Longwood clinches its sixth straight Big South series. The Lancers have won each of their six conference series this season.

Longwood goes for its second series sweep of the season, as the final game of the three-game series is set for Sunday, April 12 at Lancer Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

Longwood 5, Gardner-Webb  4
Lifsey and Augustine hit back-to-back solo blasts in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Longwood to a 5-4 victory and cap a four-run comeback for the Lancers. It marked the first time this season that Longwood has hit a walked off in the bottom of the seventh inning.

It also marked the first time this season that Longwood has captured a win after trailing after six innings of play, as the Lancers had an 0-8 mark trailing after the sixth inning mark coming into the day.

Gardner-Webb took a 4-0 lead after a three-run home run off the bat of Megan Gibbons in the third inning.

"After we got down, we did a good job of continuing to let the game come to us," Riley said. "We didn't try to press and I think that was the reason why we were able to come back and get the win."

The Lancers – who had just two hits through the first four innings – trailed 4-0 heading to the fifth inning. After Carly Adams notched a leadoff single, Lifsey changed the momentum with one swing of the bat. The senior stepped up and sent the fourth pitch she saw over the wall in right center to draw the deficit within two runs, 4-2. The homer was her first since Longwood's season-opener against Delaware State at the Pirate Classic hosted by East Carolina.

"I've been in a little bit of a slump, so I was just trying to relax and get on base," Lifsey said. "I went up there just trying to get on base and hoping the top of the lineup could hit me over."

An inning later, Glenn Walters continued to chip away at the deficit to draw the Lancers within a run, 4-3, with her third dinger of the season over the wall in left center.

Meanwhile, the Lancer defense locked in defensively, allowing just one base runner after the fourth inning, as Rachel Cumiskey reached on an error from Adams with two outs in the top of the seventh. McCarthy was able to get Scarlett Harris to strike out swinging to end the inning and give her team's bats a chance in the bottom of the inning.

Gardner-Webb called upon Sam Harrell for the save opportunity in the seventh inning, as starter Ashley Wark allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in 6.0 innings.

Lifsey – the first batter to face Harrell – sent the sixth pitch she saw over the wall in left field to tie the game, 4-4. It marked the first career multi-home run game for Lifsey, who now has eight home runs in her four-year career. One batter later, Augustine capped the Lancer comeback on a 1-1 pitch that she crushed to left center to give Longwood its first walk-off victory of the season.

"After Casey's home run to tie it, I just tried to relax and not put too much pressure on myself, Augustine said. "I've been putting in a little extra work, so it's good to see it paying off. It was good feeling to win, especially in a close game like that."

McCarthy picked up the win, allowing four runs on eight hits to go along with six strikeouts in a complete 7.0 innings of work.

Harrell took the loss on the blown save, allowing a pair of homers to the only two batters she faced.

Longwood 9, Gardner-Webb 1 (5)
Longwood blasted three more home runs in game two of the day, jumping out to a 6-0 lead after two innings en route to a 9-1 run-rule victory in five innings.

The Lancers had 13 hits off the bats of nine different players, as Augustine, Murphy and Shinrock each posted multi-hit games. Augustine led the way with a 3-for-4 performance with three RBI and two runs scored and added her second walk-off base hit in the fifth inning to end the game.

McCarthy earned her second straight victory to notch her 15th victory of the campaign. She allowed one run on four hits and a walk in 4.0 innings. She also added a pair of strikeouts, before giving way to Jenna Carnes. Carnes posted a perfect top of the fifth inning in her lone inning of work.

The Lancers knocked Gardner-Webb starter Summer Darnell (8-10) out of the game after just 1.2 innings. She took the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on seven hits and a walk. Harrell came on in relief and gave up three runs on six hits and three walks in 2.1 innings.

Augustine belted her second home run of the day to lead off the second game and hand the Lancers a 1-0 lead. After a Murphy single and a Baltzell walk, Walters added her second RBI of the day off a bunt single to score Murphy from second base. Baltzell came around to score one batter later, as Jaime Barbour notched an infield single.

The Lancers added to their lead in the second inning after Shinrock reached on an infield single and advanced to second base on a throwing error. She came around to score on an RBI single from Augustine. Two batters later, Baltzell crushed a 2-0 pitch from Darnell over the wall in right center to give Longwood a 6-0 lead. The homer marks her 18th of the campaign and matched the former Big South career home run record of 58 bombs.

An inning later, Walters earned a walk on five pitches to leadoff the frame and eventually came in to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Barbour.
After the two teams traded runs in the fourth inning, Augustine capped off her day with a second walk-off on a single up the middle to score Haleigh Kilby from third base.

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