March 1, 2007

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va.-- Longwood softball defeated the Norfolk State Spartans 5-1 in the opening game of the Lancer Spring Classic Saturday morning.  The Lancers' bats accumlated 11 hits while freshman pitcher Ashley Forsyth/Freehold, N.J. (Freehold) held the Spartans to one hit in the win.  Longwood will return to action at 11 a.m. when they take on Canisius in game two of the Classic.

The Lancers jumped on the Spartans early as Caitlin Hooe/Richmond (Douglas Freeman) opened the game with a double and freshman Camille Ketsdever/Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) followed up with a homerun on her first collegiate career at bat giving Longwood an early 2-0 lead.  Forsyth held the Spartan bats at bay, not allowing a single base runner through the first six innings of play.  
    
The Lancers tacked on a run in the top of the fifth inning, as Hooe hit a one out single and stole second and third with two outs to put herself at third with Ryan Washington/Bealeton (Liberty) coming to the plate.  Washington brought in Hooe to give Longwood a 3-0 lead at the end of five.   The Lancers cashed in on a Spartan error in the top of the sixth inning as Pepper Wilson/Mechanicsville (Lee-Davis) made it to third base on error by the center fielder and was brought in on a single by Amy Betterton/Rocky Mount (Franklin County) one batter later.  Betterton scored on a single by Kristina Garrison/Alexandria (Mount Vernon) to give Longwood a five run cushion after six and a half innings of play.  
    
Forsyth continued to roll in the bottom of the sixth, carrying a perfect game into the inning.  After striking out Norfolk State’s first batter and getting the second to ground out, the Spartans sent in a pinch hitter that broke-up the freshman hurlers perfect game hitting a homerun over the fence.  That would be as close as NSU would get as Forsyth closed the game strong retiring the next four batter for her first win in her career.  Forsyth finished the game, going the distance, striking on nine and allow one hit.