February 27, 2004

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood defeated Lock Haven 7-3 during the opener of the 2004 Longwood Spring Softball Classic Friday afternoon at Lancer Field.  With the win, the Lancers improve to 6-6 overall, while the visiting Eagles drop to 2-1 on the season. 

Against Lock Haven, Longwood quickly got on the board, posting two runs in the top frame of the first inning as junior Jen Steele/Manassas Park (Manassas Park) hit a two-out double to centerfield, driving in freshman Courtney “Pepper” Wilson/Mechanicsville (Lee-Davis) and sophomore Mallory Gordon/Powhatan (Powhatan) for her two RBIs of the outing.  Lock Haven answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, off a walk and a Heather Johnson single to right field. 

In the second inning, senior Heather Williams/Brookneal (Appomattox) drove a lead-off home run over the left field fence to give the Lancers the 3-2 lead.  Gordon then hit the game-winning two-run double, followed by an RBI-single from sophomore Shamana Washington/Rhoadsville (Orange Co.) to put the host school ahead for good with a 6-2 advantage. 

Junior Megan Camden/Bedford (Liberty) provided the Lancers with an insurance run in the fifth inning as she drove a single up the middle, allowing classmate Alishia Stewart/Faber (Nelson Co.) to cross the plate with the seventh and final Longwood run of the game.  However, the Eagles put together a fifth frame rally, loading the bases on two singles and an error, before Welch took over on the mound and struck out the next three Lock Haven batters.

Wilson paced Longwood with her two hits in five appearances at the plate, including two runs scored, while Gordon and Steele each got a hit a registered two RBI apiece.

Steele (4-4) earned the win, throwing four innings with three strikeouts.   Welch got her first collegiate save after hurling three innings in relief, while striking out five of nine batters faced.  Molly Shuey (0-1) took the loss after 1.1 innings on the mound with five earned runs.