4.22.2012

BOX SCORE GAME ONE | BOX SCORE GAME TWO

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Longwood University dropped a pair of softball games Sunday afternoon at Marshall University of Conference USA, falling in the opener 5-4 before dropping the nightcap 9-7.  The Lancers (26-25) were led in the first game against the Thundering Herd (29-18) by sophomore Leta Bressin|Gloucester (Gloucester) with two hits and freshman Katie Shinrock|Fountain Valley, Calif. (Edison) with her first collegiate home run, while freshman Megan Baltzell|Stafford (Mountain View) had two hits and two RBI and senior Courtney Long|Mechanicsville (Hanover) added a home run in the second game.  Longwood will play again on Wednesday, April 25, hosting Elon University of the Southern Conference for a doubleheader at Lancer Field in Farmville at 4 p.m.  It will be Senior Day with a special pre-game recognition of seniors Ashley Kramer|Ashburn (Broad Run), Brittney Latka|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley), Courtney Long, and Leigh Sexton|Suffolk (Randolph College).

In the opener, Longwood scored first in the fourth inning when Kramer (0-3) drew a two-out walk and scored on an RBI double by Long (1-2, RBI).  Marshall answered in the fourth as well with four runs on three hits while aided by an error to lead 4-1.  The Lancers added two runs in the fifth as Baltzell (1-3, RBI) and junior Brooke Short|Hurt (Altavista) (1-2, RBI) each contributed two-out RBI singles, and the visitors tied it at 4-4 in the seventh when Shinrock (1-3, RBI) opened the inning with a solo home run to right field -- the first of her career.  The Herd, however, got a one-out, solo home run by Jazmine Valle (2-4, RBI) for the game-winner.

Freshman Libby Morris|Dillwyn (Buckingham County) (10-13) started for Longwood and took the pitching loss with 6.1 innings, scattering six hits and three earned runs with four walks and three strikeouts.  Bressin (2-4) had two hits to lead the Lancers, while Andi Williamson (18-11) earned the win for Marshall and Victoria Marvin (1-1, RBI) added an RBI.

In the nightcap, Longwood scored in the first when freshman Kori Nishitomi|Kaneohe, Hawaii (Maryknoll) (2-4) reached on a bunt single and scored on a one-out, RBI single by Short (2-4, RBI).  Marshall responded in the first with three runs on two hits while again aided by an error to lead 3-1.  The Lancers added a run in the second as Long (1-2, RBI) hit her third home run this season, but the Herd also scored again in the second for a 4-2 advantage. 

Longwood added two more runs in the fourth to tie it at 4-4 after Baltzell (2-5, 2 RBI) contributed a two-out, two-run single.  Marshall, however, took control with five runs on four hits in the fifth to lead 9-4 as Rebecca Gamby (2-4, 2 RBI) hit a solo home run and Marvin (1-1, 2 RBI) added a pinch-hit, two-run homer during the inning.  The Lancers added two unearned runs in the sixth courtesy a pair of errors, and scored a final run in the seventh on a run-scoring single from Shinrock (2-4, RBI) for the final margin.

Junior Ashley Cornell|Portsmouth (Churchland) (10-9) started for Longwood and took the pitching loss with the first 4.0-plus innings, allowing seven hits and five earned runs with three walks and four strikeouts.  Morris tossed the final 2.0 innings, scattering three hits and two earned runs with one walk and one strikeout.  Bressin (2-5) also had two hits for the Lancers, while Erika Bennett (3-1) earned the win for Marshall and Samantha Spurlock (2-3, RBI) added two hits and an RBI.