FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood started the last series of its regular season with back-to-back wins over the Winthrop Eagles.
 
Longwood (29-22, 20-6 Big South) came out hot in the bottom of the first is game one, grabbing a quick three runs to go up early on the Eagles that stuck. 
 
In game two, it was a four run, fourth inning from the Lancers that put them on top of Winthrop (18-36, 10-16 Big South) after going down 1-0 with a Lauren King homer in the away side of the second.

"We need to keep controlling the things we can control, and make adjustments for things that aren't," said Head Coach Megan Brown. "Keeping out vision clear, and being purposeful in what we do. I am so proud of of these young ladies, because they fight hard and come our and work hard everyday, and they put it all on the field and it's fun to watch."  
 
Alexis Wayland, Sydney Jacobsen, and Sydney Guess all added a home run on the year as well in the two wins on Saturday, and Sydney Backstrom added 11 strikeouts, and her 20^th win of the year.
 
20 wins marks a new single-season best for the ace. It also adds Backstrom's name to the top ten in Longwood's record book for most wins in a single-season.
 
Jaden Pone also added her name to a very select category in the Longwood record book on Saturday.
 
With a hit in each game, Pone extended her personal hit-streak to 16 games. Pone's hit streak puts the freshman in 6^th place at Longwood for longest hit-streak. She now sits just three away from tying the 5^th placed Ryan Washington – a legendary Lancer.

"We need to keep taking things one game at a time," said Coach Brown. "In the tournament that is what we're going to have to do, so just making sure our focus is really clear and we're taking it one game and one pitch at a time."
 
Game three of the series will see Longwood's Senior Day Celebration and the last regular season game of the 2022 season. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Sunday, May 8^th.
 
Game One: Longwood's Early Lead Outlasts Winthrop's Late Inning Rally Back

Longwood got up early, and was able to hold the lead through seven finishing game one 7-4 over the Eagles.
 
A three-run shot, way over the fence, from senior Sydney Jacobsen gave Longwood the 3-0 lead coming out of the home first.
 
Following her teammates charge, Alexis Wayland added her seventh home run on the year in the bottom of the third, with a solo shot extending the Lancers lead.
 
Backstrom (20-11) in the circle for the Lancers threw 11 strikeouts and recorded five hitless innings, solidifying the game one win.
 
The super senior earned a new single-season best of 20 wins with the series opening win, while adding her name to the top ten at Longwood for most wins in a single-season.

"We pushed through each game today, but I know I'm repeating myself, but it's all about taking it one thing at a time," said Coach Brown. "We need to get in that championship mindset, simplify what we're doing, stay present in the moment because that is going to be so valuable for us next week, and as we go forward with the postseason."
 
Despite a sixth and seventh inning rally by the Eagles, the Lancer lead read to be too big to catch before the final out.
 
Game Two: Fourth Inning Rally Leads Lancers To Victory
 
It was a four-inning fourth that put the Lancers back on top after sitting 1-0 after the second inning.
 
Lauren King added two home runs on the year on Saturday including a solo shot in the top of the second put the Eagles up for the first time in the series. 
 
Responding in the home third, it was another Jacobsen, Wayland offensive standout inning putting the Lancers back on top.
 
Jaden Pone started things off with a single dropping in left field, bringing Sydney Guess to the plate.
 
Following a Guess walk to first, Wayland singled deep down the left field line scoring Pone.
 
Immediately to follow, Jacobsen knocked a single down the right field line, scoring Guess leaving the score after three 2-1 in Longwood's favor.
 
The Eagles never saw the lead again, because the offensive momentum for Longwood rolled over into a huge fourth inning rally.
 
Emily Vinson and Mason Basdikis added base runners due to an error and bunt, setting Longwood up for the lineup to flip over.
 
The Eagles were able to record two outs, with Lauren Fox in the batter's box.

Fox singled up the middle of the diamond for a two run RBI single to start the two out rally.
 
Guess at the plate, ripped the third dinger of the day over the right center fence for Longwood, adding another two runs for the Lancers, putting the score at 6-1.
 
Winthrop trying to find a rhythm was able to put up one in response in the top of the fifth, and seventh, but came up short again offensively.
 
Er'ron Burton (4-4) earned the start, and the win with Regan Kanagawa earning her first save of the year. The pair threw a combined five strikeouts and one hitless inning in the 6-3 win.
 
Pone added six hits to her stat chart after Saturday. The freshman now sits with a 16 game hit-streak, putting her in 6^th overall in the program for longest hit-streak, as a freshman.
 
Pone also is four hits away from cracking the top ten for most hits in a single-season in the program - a category she also leads across the entire Big South. Pone on top of total hits, she leads the conference in batting average (.415 b/avg, .482 slg%) - all in her first year. 
 
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