April 6, 2010

BOX SCORE: LONGWOOD 6, HOWARD 5
BOX SCORE: LONGWOOD 8, HOWARD 1

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team swept Howard University on Tuesday afternoon at Lancer Field in Farmville, winning the first game 6-5 and the nightcap 8-1. Junior Kami Nuckols/Glen Allen (Patrick Henry) picked up a hit in the first game to tie the school-record hitting streak of 22 games but went 0-4 in the second game to end the streak. Nuckols stole four bases in the first game, tying the school's single-game record. Junior Briana Wells/Romoland, Calif. (Paloma Valley) picked up two wins in the circle to improve to 21-5 on the season. Longwood returns to action on Thursday, April 8, when they travel to Elon, North Carolina, for a doubleheader against Elon University beginning at 4 p.m..

In the first game, Nuckols (2-3) led off with a single to the shortstop and then stole second base and third base on the next two pitches. After junior Maggie Margadonna/Sea Girt, N.J. (Wall Township) walked, freshman Brooke Short/Altavista (Altavista) (2-3, 3 RBI, HR), hit her 11th home run of the season to give Longwood a 3-0 lead. Longwood added another run in the third inning when senior Amy Betterton/Rocky Mount (Franklin County) (1-3, RBI, HR) hit her ninth homer of the year to put Longwood ahead 4-0 after three innings. In the fifth inning, sophomore Ashley Kramer/Ashburn (Broad Run) (2-3, RBI) hit a double to the wall that scored Short. Kramer advanced to third on the throw and would score on a sacrifice fly by senior Camille Ketsdever/Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) (1-2, RBI). Howard (13-15) rallied in the top of the seventh inning and scored five runs on three hits and two errors but could not score the sixth run as Longwood held on to win 6-5.

Wells pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, to pick up the win. Junior Brittany Spencer/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up five runs, three earned, on two hits and three walks.

Emily Johnson (3-1) received the loss in the circle for Howard, giving up six runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts.

In the second game, the Lancers again jumped on top first. Ketsdever (1-1, 2 RBI) tripled to drive in Short (1-2) and Margadonna (1-4) and would score on the same play on a throwing error by the second baseman to give Longwood the 3-0 lead after one inning. Howard scored one run in the top of the second inning to cut the Longwood lead to 3-1. The Lancers put five runs on the board in the third inning, the first when Kramer scored on a single by junior Nichole Simmons/Chesapeake (Hickory) (2-3, RBI). Wells hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Ketsdever. Sophomore Courtney Long/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (1-1, 2 RBI, 2 BB) followed with a two-RBI single and would come around to score herself to give the Lancers the 8-1 lead after three innings.

Wells picked up the win in the second game as well, giving up one run on three hits in four innings. Freshman Ashley Cornell/Portsmouth (Churchland) picked up her first collegiate save, pitching three innings of scoreless relief, giving up two hits with one walk.

Jess Hurston (0-2) received the loss for the Bison, giving up three runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.