Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Longwood University softball team picked up a pair of wins at Big South Conference opponent Charleston Southern University (5-21, 0-2) on Saturday afternoon to improve to 18-9 overall and 4-1 in conference play. LU picked up a 9-3 decision in game one before earning an 8-0 win in five innings in game two. Four Lancers hit .500 or better for the day, including sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii with a team-best four hits and .571 average. Longwood will finish its series against Charleston Southern tomorrow, Sunday, March 17. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

In the first game, Longwood wasted no time getting on the board with five runs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford (2-5, 4 runs, 2 RBI) reached on a fielder's choice, senior Brooke Short/Hurt (1-6, 3 runs, 2 RBI) reached on an error and freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-6, 2 runs, 1 RBI) walked to load the bases before sophomore Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, California (3-6, 3 runs, 3 RBI) earned a walk of her own to score the first run of the day. Freshmen Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (2-7, 2 runs, 1 RBI) and Jamie Barbour/Amelia (2-7, 1 run, 2 RBI) followed with RBI singles and sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Calif. (3-6, 2 RBI) had a base hit to knock in two more runs and make it 5-0.

The Lancers retired the CSU side in order in the bottom of the inning before Baltzell homered to straight-away center field in the top of the second to extend the LU margin. The Buccaneers got on the board with a pair of runs in their next at-bat and the squads played through two scoreless innings to make it 6-2 after four complete. In the top of the fifth, Adams connected for a leadoff single up the middle and senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (3-6, 1 run, 3 RBI) drilled a long ball over the fence in center, giving the Lancers an 8-2 advantage. Longwood tallied its final run in the sixth thanks to Baltzell's second home run of the game, and although CSU logged one in the bottom in the inning, Longwood secured the 9-3 victory.

Short (11-2) picked up the win in the circle for the Lancers, allowing just one earned run and two walks, while striking out three.

The offense on both sides started slow in game two, as neither side was able to plate a run in the first two innings. In the top of the third, Barbour blasted a leadoff home run to put the Lancers ahead. Nishitomi followed with a single before Short hit the squad's second long ball of the inning, extending the LU buffer to 3-0. The Lancers added one run in the fourth with another homer from Sciacca. The visitors put the game away in the top of the fifth with four more runs. Murphy and Sciacca tagged RBI singles, Short scored on a wild pitch and Cox doubled down the left field line to give Longwood an eight-run advantage. LU held Charleston Southern scoreless in the bottom of the inning to secure the mercy-rule victory.

Sophomore Libby Morris/Dillwyn (7-2) went the distance in the circle in game two, allowing just three hits, while striking out five.