Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Longwood University softball team faced setbacks in its first two games of the Disney Citrus Classic on Friday in Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Lancers fell, 5-2, against Boston College (4-2) in their afternoon game before dropping a 3-2 decision against Fairfield University (3-2) in the nightcap. LU was paced by sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford, who went 5-for-7 at the plate, including one home run and two RBI. Longwood will play another pair of games tomorrow, Saturday, March 2, on day two of the three-day event, squaring off against the University of Louisville at 10 a.m. and Syracuse University at 2:30 p.m.

In the first game, both Longwood and Boston College posted a run in the first inning. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (1-7, 1 run) reached on an error in the leadoff position for Longwood before advancing to third on a single from Baltzell and stealing home to post the first run of the day. BC answered in the home half of the inning, moving a base runner into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on an RBI double to knot the game at 1-1.

The Eagles added another run on two hits in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 advantage. The Longwood bats were silent in the third and the squad left a runner stranded on third in the fourth inning. BC added a run in its next at bat when the bases were loaded and pitcher Brooke Short/Hurt (6 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs, 3 so) hit a batter to bring in a run. The Eagles then logged a pair of runs in the sixth, as well, to take a 5-1 advantage. The Lancers got a boost in the top of the seventh on a solo homer from freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-5, 1 run, 1 RBI) to pull within three, but could not produce any more runs, falling 5-2 in the outing.

Longwood opened its game against Fairfield with home run from Baltzell, taking a 1-0 advantage. The Stags threatened in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded, but the Lancers got out of the inning unscathed thanks to a strikeout from pitcher Libby Morris/Dillwyn (6 IP, 7 hits, 3 so) and a line-drive double play. Both sides were retired in the second before LU stretched its lead in the third, when sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, California (2-6, 1 run) tripled to short center scored on a Baltzell single to right to put Longwood up, 2-0.

The Lancers sat the Stags down in order in the bottom of the third, but Fairfield ended Longwood's next at-bat by catching a runner trying to steal third. In the fifth inning, Nishhitomi led off with a bunt single, but to no avail, as she was thrown out on a fielder's choice. Fairfield came to life in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run long ball to pull ahead, 3-2. Longwood made an effort to come back in the top of the seventh with a single from Baltzell, but it was not enough, as the Lancers fell, 3-2.