March 20, 2010

BOX SCORE: LONGWOOD 6, NORFOLK STATE 0
BOX SCORE: LONGWOOD 8, NORFOLK STATE 3

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team won a pair of games against visiting Norfolk State University on Saturday afternoon, winning the first game 6-0 and the second game 8-3 at Lancer Field in Farmville. Freshman Brooke Short/Altavista (Altavista) went 2-for-2 after being intentionally walked in all four plate appearances in the first game and her first trip to the plate in the second. Sophomore Courtney Long/Mechanicsville (Hanover) hit her first home run of the season and became the ninth player to hit one this season as the Lancers broke the school single-season home run record with 42. The Lancers (19-8) return to action on Friday, March 26, when they travel to the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway, South Carolina, to face Kent State University at 1:45 p.m. and Siena University at 4 p.m..

In the first game, Longwood scored a pair of runs in the second inning, the first on a RBI double by freshman Jordan Cox/Springfield (Robert E. Lee) and the second when sophomore Ashley Kramer/Ashburn (Broad Run) scored when junior Brittany Matthews/Farmville (Prince Edward) put the ball in play. Longwood added one more run in the third inning when Matthews singled to center field, driving in Kramer. Short scored in the top of the fourth inning when the shortstop couldn't handle a throw and allowed the baserunners to advance. Cox capped off Longwood's scoring with a two-RBI double in the sixth inning to put Longwood ahead 6-0.

Junior Briana Wells/Romoland, Calif. (Paloma Valley) picked up the win, after throwing a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts. Alyssa Velazquez received the loss after giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits in three innings.

In the second game, Norfolk State (3-14) scored in the first inning on a Brianeisha Eure single that drove in Gipsy Ramirez. The Lancers answered in the bottom of the inning when junior Maggie Margadonna/Sea Girt, N.J. (Wall Township) doubled to score junior Kami Nuckols/Glen Allen (Patrick Henry). Margadonna would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by senior Camille Ketsdever/Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) and junior Nichole Simmons/Chesapeake (Hickory) scored the third run of the inning on a single by senior Amy Betterton/Rocky Mount (Franklin County). The Spartans would pull within one after a leadoff home run by Candice Vasquez in the top of the second inning. Longwood added three more runs in the bottom of the second, the first coming on the record-breaking home run by Long. Margadonna hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored freshman Erin Carpenter/Birmingham, Ala. (Oak Mountain). Short doubled in her sixth plate appearance and first official at-bat of the day after drawing five intentional walks, including her first plate appearance in the second game. Nuckols scored on the double to put Longwood ahead 6-2 after two innings. NSU scored another run in the top of the third to pull within three at 6-3. Longwood added one run in the bottom of the fifth when junior Tricia Nelson/Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield Central) scored on a Nuckols single. The Lancers added another run in the sixth inning on a Ketsdever single to make the score 8-3.

Junior Brittany Spencer/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (2-3) earned her second win in as many days, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits in four innings. Short pitched two innings and gave up one hit, followed by freshman Ashley Cornell/Portsmouth (Churchland) who did not allow any hits with one strikeout in the seventh inning.

Casey Pomeroy received the loss in the second game after giving up four runs on four hits in one inning.