Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team suffered a pair of setbacks against Big South Conference opponent Coastal Carolina University (15-11, 2-0 BSC) in the squad's first home league games of the season at Lancer Field in Farmville. The Lancers (19-9, 5-3 BSC) fell, 6-5, in game one before dropping an 11-5 decision in game two. Freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights went 5-for-7 (.714) at the plate with two RBI and one run to pace Longwood. LU will close its series against Coastal tomorrow, Wednesday, March 20. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Coastal opened game one with a pair of base hits followed by two walks to take an early 1-0 lead. The Chanticleers then plated two more runs with a long double, making it 3-0 with no outs. The Lancers stopped the rally on the first strikeout of the day from senior Brooke Short/Hurt. Freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia (0-4) then fielded a slow roller for the unassisted putout and sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford (1-7, 1 run) caught a foul tip behind the plate to leave two Chanticleers stranded. In the bottom of the first, sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (4-8, 5 runs) got on base with an error by the CCU second baseman, reached second on a groundout by Baltzell and scored on base hit up the middle by Short to cut the deficit to two. Freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (2-6, 1 run, 4 RBI) came close to scoring a run of her own when she reach on fielder's choice, stole second and advanced to third on the errant throw from the catcher, but was stranded there.

Longwood retired the Coastal side in order in the top of the second before Adams and senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (2-7, 1 RBI) tagged base hits, but the squad couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, keeping it 3-1. In the top of the fourth, sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, California (1-5, 1 RBI) led the defense with two big catches in center field, despite the high winds, getting Longwood out of inning unscathed. In the home half of the inning, Adams cut the deficit to just one when she pulled a high fly ball over the fence in right field to make it 3-2.

LU quickly sat down the Chanticleers in their next at-bat. In the bottom of the sixth, Short, sophomore Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, Calif. (2-8, 1 RBI), Adams and Cox all singled to knot the game at 3-3. Coastal took advantage of two Longwood errors to pull ahead 6-3 in the top of the seventh. The Lancers made a valiant comeback effort in their final at-bat, as Nishitomi laid down a clean bunt before Murphy walked and Sciacca lined an RBI single. Adams then singled up the middle to make it 6-5, but the Chanticleers were able to hold on for victory.

In game two, Longwood retired the Coastal side quickly in the first. Nishitomi got things rolling for the Lancers with a leadoff triple to the wall in right center before scoring on a wild pitch to give LU a 1-0 advantage. CCU tied it in the second with back-to-back doubles and took the lead on a Longwood throwing error. Coastal added one in the top of the third and threatened to score again, but stranded a runner just 60 feet from home thanks to a diving catch in the three-four hole from Adams to end the inning.

Longwood loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with consecutive bunt singles from Shinrock and Nishitomi, and a walk from Short. Murphy then drilled a hard liner over the head of the leftfielder to score two runs, knotting the game at 3-3. The Chanticleers regained the upper hand with a leadoff home run over the left field fence in the top of the fourth. LU put together a great defensive showing in the top of the fifth, as two high flies were caught by Murphy, and Nishitomi tracked down a deep fly in left to end the inning.

In the bottom fifth, Murphy singled up the middle, allowing Nishitomi and Baltzell to score, giving LU a 5-4 advantage. CCU would not stay down for long, however, plating two in its next at-bat to make it 6-5. The Lancers put runners on the corners in the home half of the sixth, but the Chanticleers were able to extinguish the opportunity. CCU pulled away in the seventh, with a five-run rally on four hits and after retiring the LU side in order in its last at-bat, the visitors secured the 11-5 decision.