3.16.2012

BOX SCORE

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Longwood University took a 5-4 softball victory at future Big South Conference opponent Charleston Southern University Friday afternoon during the first day of the Charleston Southern Tournament in South Carolina.  The Lancers (16-8) led 5-1 after five innings before the host Buccaneers (11-12) scored two runs in the sixth inning to make it interesting late.  Longwood was led by junior Jordan Cox|Springfield (Robert E. Lee) with a two-run single, and sophomore Leta Bressin|Gloucester (Gloucester) collected three hits, while junior Ashley Cornell| Portsmouth (Churchland) gained the pitching win.  Longwood will play three more games in the tournament, including two on Saturday, March 17 -- against Ohio University of the Mid-American Conference at 10 a.m., before facing Charleston Southern again at 12 p.m. in South Carolina.
   
Longwood took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when freshman Megan Baltzell|Stafford (Mountain View) (1-4) doubled to open the game and scored on a one-out RBI double by junior Brooke Short|Hurt (Altavista) (1-3, RBI).  Charleston Southern scored two runs in the first for its only lead of the game at 2-1 after a run-scoring single from Stephanie Sbardella (1-2, 2 RBI) and an RBI double by Kristin Kellher (2-4, RBI).  The Lancers answered in the third with two runs to go ahead 3-2 following RBI singles by freshman Kori Nishitomi|Kaneohe, Hawaii (Maryknoll) (1-4, RBI) and sophomore Marci Christian|Arvonia (Buckingham County) (1-3, RBI).
   
Longwood extended its advantage to four runs with a pair of runs in the fifth that proved decisive as Cox (1-3, 2 RBI) provided a clutch, two-out, two-run single that scored both Bressin (3-3) and Nishitomi who had singled and reached via an error, respectively.  The Buccaneers added two runs in the sixth when Sbardella was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, while a wild pitch allowed another runner to cross the plate.
   
Cornell (3-1) started and gained the pitching win for Longwood with the first 4.1 innings, scattering four hits and two runs, both earned, with three walks and no strikeouts.  Freshman Libby Morris|Dillwyn (Buckingham County) tossed the final 2.2 innings, yielding three hits and two runs, both earned, with one walk and no strikeouts for her first save (1).
   
Morgan Dowdy (7-6) took the mound loss for CSU, pitching the 7.0 innings and yielding eight hits and five runs, four earned, with no walks and eight strikeouts.