April 24, 2011

Box Score: Longwood 5, @Penn State 3 (8)
Box Score: Longwood 3, @Penn State 0

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Longwood University softball team swept a doubleheader at Pennsylvania State University on Sunday afternoon in University Park, Pennsylvania, winning the first game 5-3 in eight innings and the second game 3-0. Senior pitcher Briana Wells|Romoland, Calif. (Paloma Valley) went 2-0 on the day, allowing just two earned runs with seven strikeouts in 15 innings against the Nittany Lions (23-21). Sophomore Brooke Short|Altavista (Altavista) hit her 29th career home run in the eighth inning of game one to give the Lancers (32-11) the lead and to set the Longwood career home run record. The Lancers return to action on Wednesday, April 27, when they travel to Buies Creek, North Carolina, for a doubleheader with Campbell University beginning at 4 p.m..

In the first game, senior Nichole Simmons|Chesapeake (Hickory) hit a leadoff triple to right field. Short lined out down the left field line and Simmons tagged up from third and scored on the sacrifice. Penn State tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning when Cassidy Bell scored on a fielder's choice by Kasie Hatfield. PSU added one more run when Bell hit a leadoff home run in the fifth inning to take the 2-1 lead. Longwood battled back in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game after senior Tricia Nelson|Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield Central) hit a RBI single down the left field to score sophomore Jordan Cox|Springfield (Robert E. Lee). The Lancers took the lead for good when Short hit a two-run home run to right-center field. Junior Ashley Kramer|Ashburn (Broad Run) hit a solo home run two batters later to put the Lancers ahead 5-2. Penn State scored one run in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI single by Lauren Yao to cut the lead to 5-3 with one out, but Lauren Rossi lined in to a double play to end the game.

Wells (29-11, 2.23 ERA) earned the pitching victory after giving up three runs, two earned, on six hits with four strikeouts. Jackie Hill (14-11) received the loss after giving up five runs, three earned, on five hits with three strikeouts.

In the second game, the Lancers wasted no time scoring as Simmons hit a leadoff home run in the first inning. Longwood scored two runs in the fourth inning. Kramer walked, then Nelson hit a RBI double down the left field line to score Kramer. Wells helped her own cause as she doubled down the right field line to drive home Nelson and give Longwood the 3-0 lead. Wells allowed just three hits the rest of the way to complete the shutout.

Wells earned the shutout victory after allowing four hits with three strikeouts in seven innings. Lisa Akamine (9-9) received the loss after giving up three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

Short broke the career home run record with her 16th homer of the season and 29th of her career. She broke the previous record of 28 held by former standout Shamana Washington (2003-06).