BUIES CREEK, N.C. – For the fifth time in seven seasons, Longwood softball is the Big South champion.
 
A complete game three-hitter from sophomore Sydney Backstrom and a go-ahead suicide squeeze bunt laid down by senior Jessica Smith in the bottom of the sixth sent the No. 1 seed Lancers (37-19) to a 3-2 win over No. 4 seed Winthrop (30-26) in the Big South Championship game Saturday afternoon at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
 
The title-game win came in comeback fashion for the Big South regular-season champion Lancers, who scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to overcome a 2-0 deficit. All-Big South freshman Sydney Jacobsen scored the go-ahead run after drawing a walk, stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error on the same play.

"Today was a range of emotion," said Longwood head coach Kathy Riley. "It was 14 hard-fought innings. I was just happy to see that last out."
 
Smith placed a one-out bunt down the first base line to send in a charging Jacobsen, who was sent from the third base box by Riley and scored uncontested with a feet-first slide.

"We seem to get stronger in the late innings and when we get tested," Riley said. "We've done that quite a bit throughout the season and today was no different. We did a good job of putting together strong at bats in the sixth inning."
 
Backstrom (19-10), whose lone blemish on the day came on a two-run home run by Winthrop senior Keleigh Romine in the top of the fifth, then locked up the win by working around a two-out walk in the top of the seventh to complete her three-hit masterpiece.

The championship win was a redemptive effort that saw the Lancers avenge a 4-3 loss to Winthrop in the first game of the day. The upset-minded Eagles – who knocked off
No. 2 seed USC Upstate Friday to reach the championship game – put Longwood in a winner-take-all title game Saturday afternoon after seventh-inning go-ahead double by Brooke Ellis led them to a game-one upset Saturday morning.

"Our team has a lot of fight and it doesn't matter to us how we win but we're not ever going to go down without a fight," Donovan said. "Preparation was key for this week and we worked our tails off. I couldn't be happier for our team."

Karleigh Donovan, who had both Longwood hits on the day with a 2-for-3 performance, was named Big South Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP), joining two-time tournament MVP Libby Morris (2013, '15), Sydney Gay (2016) and Elizabeth McCarthy (2017). Donovan was joined on the All-Tournament team by Backstrom, Kaylynn 'Bug' Batten and Jordan Clark.

"Sometimes you can see Karleigh get locked in just by looking at her," Riley said. "She was ready to put together good at-bats and she didn't let any pitch bother her. She had a sense of determination in each at-bat that she took and good things happen because of that."

Longwood's run of five Big South crowns in seven seasons is now one that has never been matched by any league counterpart. Also the 2019 Big South regular-season champions, the title sweep is the latest accolade in a three-year run that has seen Longwood win every conference series since the 2017 season.

Donovan went 8-for-12 at the plate throughout the weekend with three multi-hit games, as she added  two RBI and three runs scored while hitting .667 overall. The senior provided both of Longwood's hits in the decisive game.

Saturday's championship earns the Lancers the Big South's automatic bid to an NCAA Regional, the location and seeding of which will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The NCAA Tournament berth will be the fourth in the past five years for the Lancers, who have advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship game in each of their last two appearances.

"We've come so close to making a Super Regional before," Donovan said. "We've made it to two Regional Championships but we're going for it this year."

Madyson Watson (15-5) took the loss for Winthrop, allowing one run on a walk and a strikeout. Kiley Majette started the game for the Eagles, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing one hit and five walks.
 
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