FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood and Presbyterian split the doubleheader Friday afternoon, with the Blue Hose grabbing the game two win 6-0 over the Lancers. 
 
In game one for the Lancers, the game was highlighted by Sydney Backstrom's 14th win, and third outing of the season matching her single-game best of 13 strikeouts. 

Backstrom now sits tied for first in the Longwood record books with a career strikeout total of 654. One more K, will push her past the current all-time leader Elizabeth McCarthy, who has held the record since 2017. 

"The record is a direct tribute to Sydney, and how hard she works," said Head Coach Megan Brown. "She's really worked to develop her pitches and really grow each day, so the credit goes to her."

A hot second game for the Blue Hose at the plate was led by junior Layna Johnson and freshman Morgan Hess. 

Hess grabbed the start, win, and an RBI in game two for the Blue Hose, alongside her teammate, Johnson.

A South Carolina native, Johnson went 3-4 from the plate, with two home runs, two RBI's, and four total runs in the 6-0 game two win.

"That was a game we can learn a lot from," said Coach Brown. "Those lessons we learn from a game like that, if we can learn them, it can put us in a great position moving forward, and that was the challenge set for the team. Learn our lessons, and get better for tomorrow."

The Lancers and Blue Hose will be back at it again for the deciding game of the series Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Game One: Backstrom Ties Softball Career Strikeout Record In Series Opening Win  

One is sometimes enough, and on Friday afternoon that was the case for the Lancers. 
 
A solo homer from senior Alexis Wayland was just enough in game one, to take the 1-0 win over the visiting Presbyterian Blue Hose. 
 
Sydney Backstrom (14-9) made sure of that in the circle. The Lancer ace earned the win with a two-hit shutout while striking out 13 to tie Lancer legend Elizabeth McCarthy with 654 career strikeouts. She took a perfect game into the sixth inning for Longwood (20-19, 13-3 Big South), and the 13 strikeouts also tied a season-high that she has reached three times this season.
 
Freshman Jaden Pone kept her bat hot for Longwood and went 3-3 at the plate with a stolen base. 
 
Wayland cranked her home run in the fourth inning as both pitchers kept hitters off balance.

Both sides loaded the bases in the sixth, but Backstrom wiggled out of the jam by inducing a popup to short in the top half of the inning. Wayland, Korynna Anderson and Lauren Taylor all singled in the home half of the inning, but Presbyterian (25-9, 11-5 Big South) reliever Haley Haselden escaped unscathed.
 
Jenna Greene (13-5) started in the circle for Presbyterian and collected five strikeouts over five innings while giving up one run.
  
Game Two: Johnson And Hess Performance Snag Game Two From Lancers 
 
Layna Johnson owned the batter's box in game two, going 3-3, with two RBI's, and four runs in the 6-0 Presbyterian win. 
 
The Blue Hose (26-9, 12-5 Big South) owned the game by outhitting the Lancers 10-3 as Hess tossed a shutout to back up Johnson's muscle at the plate. 
 
In the first inning, PC took the lead off a Morgan Hess sac fly to center field to score Johnson.  
 
The junior from Aynor, South Carolina later hit solo homers in the third and fifth innings to put Presbyterian ahead 3-0 going into the home side of the fifth. 
 
After Hess kept the Lancer bats quiet, Presbyterian's offense tacked on some insurance in the seventh. Lath Freeman grabbed a two-run double with one out, scoring both Johnson and Jersey Silver. 
 
Playing both sides of the ball, Hess (11-3) started in the circle for the Blue Hose. The freshman totaled four strikeouts, allowing only three hits in her complete game win. 
 
For the Lancers (20-20, 13-4 Big South), Er'ron Burton (2-4) and Reggie Kanagawa split time in the circle. The two threw a combined 11 strikeouts, allowing 10 hits in the 6-0 loss Friday night. 

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