2.17.2012

BOX SCORE GAME ONE

BOX SCORE GAME TWO

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University won two softball games Friday afternoon during the first day of the Lancer Lead-Off Tournament at Lancer Field in Farmville.  The Lancers (5-1) opened the event with two victories past UMBC of the America East Conference.  Longwood was led junior Jordan Cox|Springfield (Robert E. Lee) with two home runs and six RBI, sophomore Marci Christian|Arvonia (Buckingham) with two home runs and five RBI, and freshman Kori Nishitomi|Kaneohe, Hawaii (Maryknoll) with two hits and three RBI.  Junior Brooke Short|Hurt (Altavista) earned a complete-game pitching victory in game one, and added a mound save in game two, with the second game pitching win going to freshman Libby Morris|Dillwyn (Buckingham).  Longwood will play two more games in the Lancer Lead-Off on Saturday, February 18, at Lancer Field against visiting Big East Conference schools St. John's University at 1:45 p.m., and Seton Hall University at 4 p.m.
   
Against UMBC in game one, Longwood scored six runs in the first inning and three runs in the third inning en route to the eight-run rule after five innings.  In the first, Short (1-3, RBI) had an RBI single before Cox (1-1, 3 RBI) blasted a three-run home run and Christian (1-2, 2 RBI) followed with a two-run home run.  In the third, Nishitomi (1-2, 2 RBI) added a two-run single and senior Ashley Kramer|Ashburn (Broad Run) (1-2, RBI) provided a sacrifice fly for the Lancers.  Short (2-0) took care of the rest with her complete-game 5.0-inning shutout effort, yielding just one hit with one walk and six strikeouts.
   
Against UMBC in game two, Longwood fell behind 3-0 as UMBC scored two runs in the first and another run in the third courtesy back-to-back solo homers in the first by Kaila Balatgek (1-3, 2 RBI) and Katie Ferguson (1-4, RBI), and yet another solo shot by Taylor Hall (2-3, RBI) in the third.  The Lancers responded with three runs in the third as Cox (1-3, 3 RBI) hit her second three-run home run of the day to tie it at 3-3.  The Retrievers added two runs in the fifth to lead 5-3 as Angela Yannone (2-4, 2 RBI) had a two-run double, but LU answered right back with six runs in the fifth to lead 9-5.  Nishitomi (1-3, RBI) got it started with an RBI triple, followed by a sacrifice fly by Short (0-2, RBI), before Christian (2-3, 3 RBI) blasted her second homer of the day -- this time a three-run shot.  Senior Brittney Latka|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) scored in the inning as well via a wild pitch while pinch-running.
   
UMBC made it interesting with two more runs in the sixth via a passed ball and a sacrifice fly from Balatgek, and a final run in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Emily Forst (1-1, RBI).
   
Morris (3-1) garnered the pitching win for Longwood with the first 5.1 innings, scattering eight hits and seven runs, six earned, with three walks and three strikeouts.  Short (2) tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and one run, earned, with two walks and two strikeouts for the save.  Kramer (3-4) also had three hits in the game.
   
Other games on Saturday during the tournament include St. John's and Seton Hall at 9:15 a.m., Seton Hall and UMBC at 11:30 a.m., and St. John's and UMBC at 6:15 p.m.