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ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Longwood University softball team fell, 12-10, in the completion of Tuesday's suspended game before picking up a 17-5 decision in the series finale at Big South Conference opponent Winthrop University (7-10, 1-2 BSC) on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Brooke Short/Hurt paced the Lancers, going a perfect 4-4 at the dish with eight RBI and four runs on the day. Sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford added two hits in three at-bats with two runs and three RBI, while classmate Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii totaled two hits of her own along with a pair of runs. Longwood (11-5, 2-1 BSC) will return to action on March 8-10 at the George Mason Invitational when the squad takes on George Mason University, Cornell University and Monmouth University during the three-day event. LU will play its first game of the tournament against George Mason on Friday, March 8 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“Although we know we have a lot of room to grow as a team, we were happy to go on the road and win our very first conference series,” said head coach Kathy Riley. “We did a great job hitting the ball hard. We definitely gave ourselves a chance to win by attacking the ball aggressively in all three games.”

The Lancers and the Eagles began by resuming play in yesterday's game that was tied 6-6 before being suspended in the fifth inning due to heavy rain. Winthrop posted one run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run to take a 7-6 advantage. In the top of the sixth, sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, California (1-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI) hit a sacrifice fly to drive in freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (2-5, 1 run) and regain the lead at 8-7 for Longwood. WU pulled away in the home half of the inning, however, with five runs on five hits, including a pair of homers. The Lancers rallied in the seventh, tallying two runs thanks to long balls from seniors Short and Jordan Cox (2-5, 1 RBI), but it was not enough as Winthrop earned the 12-10 victory.

Short (7-2), who came out of the bullpen in the first inning, took the decision in the circle, allowing 10 hits and eight earned runs, while striking out six. Sophomore Libby Morris/Dillwyn started the game and allowed the first three runs.

The Longwood offense came back to life at the start of the final game of the series. Baltzell doubled for the squad's first hit before Short tagged a two-run home run to center field, giving LU an early advantage. The Lancers retired the Winthrop side in order in the bottom of the inning, but the Eagles did the same to them in the top of the second. In its next at-bat, the home squad scored one run on three errors to get on the board. Longwood, however, quickly extended its buffer to 5-1 in the third, as Baltzell and Short blasted back-to-back homers.

The Eagles scored another unearned run in the bottom of the inning before the Lancers put the game out of reach with five in the fourth. Pinch runner Amy Putnam/Poquoson scored on an error before Short belted a grand slam giving LU a 10-1 margin. Winthrop chipped away at the deficit with a pair of runs on a long ball in its next at-bat, but Longwood retaliated with seven more of its own in the fifth thanks to a RBI single from Shinrock and a first-career grand slam from freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-4, 1 run, 4 RBI). WU recorded a final run in the home half of the inning on another homer, but the Lancers earned the 17-5, mercy-rule victory.

Morris went the distance in the circle for LU, allowing just three earned runs and two walks, while striking out seven.