Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team picked up a pair of five-inning mercy rule victories against the visiting St. Francis (Pa.) University (0-2) in the squad's home opener on Thursday afternoon at Lancer Field to improve to 4-0 on the young season. Longwood earned a 20-4 decision in game one of the doubleheader before taking a 10-0 win in game two. The Lancers were paced by Senior Jordan Cox/Springfield, who tallied seven RBI on two hits, including a grand slam and a two-run home run. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (4-5, 4 runs, 3 RBI) and classmate Megan Baltzell/Stafford (4-6, 5 runs, 4 RBI) added to the offensive effort, as well. LU returns to action when it hosts Bucknell University and Stony Brook University in the squad's annual Longwood Spring Classic on February 23-24. Longwood will play its first game of the tournament against Bucknell at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.

“The doubleheader with St. Francis was a great way to start off our home schedule,” said head coach Kathy Riley. “I was really proud of the girls for how aggressive they were with the bats. We made adjustments at the plate, which allowed us to have quite a few quality at-bats.”

Longwood retired the St. Francis side in order to start game one before posting 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Nishitomi singled up the middle before Baltzell sent a fly ball to deep left field to knock her teammate in for the first run of the day. Cox followed with a massive grand slam to straight-away center field, making it a 5-0 game. On the second time around the lineup in the inning, Nishitomi, sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, California (5-6, 5 runs, 1 RBI) and senior Brooke Short/Hurt (3-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI) added RBI singles. Freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (4-5, 3 runs, 4 RBI) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring Baltzell home for the final run of the inning.

The Lancers added five more runs in the home half of the second inning thanks to RBI doubles from Nishitomi and Murphy, as well as an RBI triple from freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (1-5, 1 RBI). The Red flash got on the board in the top of the third, but left a runner on base after getting caught in a rundown at third to end the inning. Freshman Hannah Burmeister/Chesapeake (2-2, 3 RBI) put herself in scoring position in the bottom of the inning with a three-bagger to left field and was sent home on a double from Short to make it 17-1. St. Francis posted another run in the top of the fourth, but the Lancers answered with three in the bottom of the inning on a base-clearing double down the third-base line from Burmeister. The Red Flash would score two more runs in its final at bat in the top of the fifth, but could not come any closer, as Longwood took the 20-4 victory.

Sophomore Libby Morris/Dillwyn earned the win in the circle with four innings of work for LU, allowing just two hits, two walks and two runs. Morris tallied one strikeout in the outing. Senior Ashley Cornell/Portsmouth hurled the final inning, striking out one while giving up a pair of hits and runs.

In game two, Nishitomi earned a leadoff walk before Baltzell blasted a home run to right center to give the Lancers an early, 2-0 lead. Murphy followed with a liner past third base to score Short, who had stolen third on the previous pitch. Longwood notched five more runs on seven hits in the bottom of the second, including RBI singles from Nishitomi and Baltzell and a two-run homer from Cox. LU added its two final runs in the fourth on sacrifice flies from Short and Cox before holding the Red Flash scoreless once again in the top of the fifth to take the 10-0 shutout win.

Short went the distance in the circle in game two, allowing just one hit while striking out three of the 17 batters she faced.