FARMVILLE, Va. – Backed by a dominant pitching performance from Sydney Gay in the circle in game one, the Longwood softball team split its midweek doubleheader with Virginia Tech Tuesday afternoon at Lancer Field.

Gay led Longwood to a 6-2 win in the opening game of the day, before the Hokies had a gem of a start of their own in riding Jordan Dail's complete-game effort to a 5-1 win in the nightcap.

Longwood's right-handed junior Gay won her seventh game in her last nine appearances, leading the Lancers (18-10) to their eighth win in their last 10 games. With her five strikeouts in the game against the Hokies, Gay moves to within two of passing former Lancer Jen Steele for third-place on Longwood's all-time strikeout list.

Four different Lancers had multi-hit days, including Kaylynn Batten, Karleigh Donovan, Destiny Martinez and Krista Kelly. In addition, Kasey Carr continued her tear at the plate on the heels of a 5-for-5 performance in Saturday's doubleheader at Charleston Southern with a pair of RBI in the first game of the day.

Longwood returns to Big South play with a three-game weekend series against Campbell to continue its 11-game homestand. The opening game of that series is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch.  



Longwood 6, Virginia Tech 2

Junior right-hander Sydney Gay allowed two runs on two hits to collect her 12th victory of the season, as Longwood took game one by a 6-2 margin.

Gay had her fifth complete-game performance of the season in limiting the ACC-power Hokies to a pair of hits and four walks. The Carrollton, Va. product added five strikeouts in the effort, as she threw a total of 108 pitches, 69 for strikes.

Karleigh Donovan had a pair of hits to lead the Lancers offensively while Krista Kelly added a pair of RBI and Kasey Carr had her 13th hit in her last 14 games with a pair of RBI to continue her dominant stretch at the plate. Destiny Martinez added a hit with a pair of runs scored while Kaylynn Batten also collected a hit, as she has in 19 of Longwood's 28 games this season.

Carrie Eberle took the loss for the Hokies, going 4.2 innings and giving up six runs, three earned, on six hits and four walks while striking out five batters. Keely Rochard came on in relief of her and went 1.2 innings, striking out three while retiring all six batters she faced.



Virginia Tech 5, Longwood 1

Olivia Lattin went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI and a run scored while Jordan Dail gave up one run on four hits in the complete-game effort to lead Virginia Tech to a 5-1 win in the nightcap of the doubleheader.

Lattin slugged one of three home runs for the Hokies, leading a hitting barrage of eight hits throughout. Carrie Eberle also added a pair of hits for the Hokies, going 2-of-3 with a solo home run.

The effort backed a gem of an effort from Virginia Tech starter Jordan Dail, who had a complete-game effort in which she had four three-up, three-down innings. Dail threw 106 pitches, 63 for strikes in the complete-game win.

Sydney Backstrom took the loss in the circle for the Lancers, going 4.1 innings and giving up three runs on five hits while striking out one batter. Sydney Mundell tossed 1.2 innings, retiring all five batters she faced.

Arleigh Wood pitched the final inning, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk.

Kaylynn Batten clubbed her fourth home run of the season in the seventh inning, as she had one of four Lancer hits.

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