February 29, 2008

BOX SCORE

ATHENS, Ga. - Longwood University softball drop its opening game of the Georgia Softball Classic against Butler on Friday afternoon, falling 9-5 after eight innings in Athens, Ga. The Lancers fall to 5-4 on the season and return to action at 4 p.m. on Friday, as they take on host Georgia.

Longwood, who played as the home team, fell behind early as Butler earned a 4-1 advantage by the end of the third inning. The Lancers battled their way back into the game in the fourth inning, scoring three unearned runs to tie things up, 5-5. Junior catcher Emily Radford/Tacoma, Wash. (Fife) got things started in the bottom of the fourth inning, reaching base after a single up the middle of the field. Moments later Radford was crossing home plate after Amy Betterton/Rocky Mount (Franklin County) hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Caitlin Slagle/Chesapeake (Greenbrier) and Nichole Simmons/Chesapeake (Hickory) would also come around to score later in the inning.

Both teams would take the 5-5 draw into extra innings, where the game would slip away from the Lancers. Butler would go on to a 6-5 advantage after the lead off batter doubled to left center scoring the runner placed on second base due to the international tie-breaker rule.

Longwood earn one run in the bottom of the eighth, but it wouldn’t be enough, giving Butler the 9-5 victory. Slagle picked up the loss for the Lancers, pitching eight complete innings, striking out four and walking one.