Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Longwood University softball team picked up a decisive, 13-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader and its first-ever Big South Conference game at Winthrop University (6-9, 0-1 BSC), before the second game was suspended in the middle of the fifth inning due to heavy rain. The Lancers (9-4, 1-0 BSC) were paced by freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBI and two runs, and sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford, who had three hits in four at-bats with four RBI and four runs. The unfinished game, which was tied at 6-6 when it was called, will be resumed tomorrow, Wednesday, March 6, at 2 p.m. with the series finale to follow.

The Lancers got off to a quick start in game one, posting five runs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (4-6, 5 runs) led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a double to right center by Baltzell for the first run of the day. Senior Brooke Short/Hurt (0-3, 1 run, 1 RBI) reached on an error and Murphy followed with a two-RBI single, giving the Lancers a 3-0 advantage. Two more Lancers crossed the plate before the end of the inning, as sophomore Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, California (1-5, 1 run, 2 RBI) doubled down the left field line and freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia (1-2, 2 RBI) hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-0 game.

Winthrop was able to post one run in the home half of the inning with a RBI double to right, but Longwood answered in the top of the second with two more runs. Nishitomi, who had singled to get on base, moved to second after Baltzell was hit by a pitch and stole third to put herself in scoring position for a sac fly from Short. Murphy then tagged a RBI single to the right side, putting the Lancers ahead, 7-1. LU held the Eagles scoreless in the third and, thanks to a fielder's choice from freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (1-4, 1 RBI) and a two-bagger from Barbour, added to its margin with three runs in the fourth to take a 10-1 lead.

In the top of the fifth, Longwood earned five walks and got a single from sophomore Casey Lifsey/Portsmouth (1-1, 1 RBI) to increase its buffer to double digits at 13-1. The Eagles plated two runs on a deep homer in the bottom of the fifth in a last-ditch effort to keep the game from ending in mercy-rule fashion, but could not come any closer, as Longwood secured the 13-3 victory in five innings.

Short and senior Ashley Cornell/Portsmouth both saw action in the circle. Short allowed three hits and one run, while striking out four, in four innings of work before Cornell came out of the bullpen to close the game.

Game two looked to be starting in much the same fashion as game one when Baltzell sent a long ball to straight-away center field to give the Lancers a 2-0 advantage in the first. However, the Winthrop offense came to life in the bottom of the inning and took its first lead of the day with four runs on three hits. Longwood answered in the third with an RBI single from Baltzell and a pair of sacrifice flies from Short and Murphy to take a slight, 5-4 advantage, but the Eagles would not stay down for long, regaining the lead at 6-5 with a RBI triple and an unearned run on a Lancer error. Neither squad could get anything started in the fourth inning, but LU knotted the game at 6-6 in the fifth when Baltzell walked and stole two bases before scoring on an error by the WU catcher. The Eagles did not have a chance to bat in the inning, as play was suspended.