Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Longwood University softball team earned a 10-2 victory against George Mason University (6-8) in its first of five games at the George Mason Invitational on Friday evening. The Lancers (12-5) were led by senior Brooke Short/Hurt, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach added two hits in three at-bats, along with two RBI and one run scored in victory. Longwood will play a pair of games on day two of the tournament tomorrow beginning with a 2:30 p.m. tilt against Cornell University and a 4:30 p.m. contest against George Mason.

With two outs in the top of the first, Short reached on an error and advanced to second on a pass ball before Murphy connected for a base hit to knock her in and give Longwood a 1-0 advantage. LU retired the Patriots' side in order in the bottom of the inning, as senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (0-4) caught a foul fly ball, Murphy threw a runner out at first and sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, California (1-4) ran down a high fly ball in center. Neither squad was able to plate a run in the second, but the Lancers added two more in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Short tagged a double down the left field line to score sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (1-5, 2 runs), who had reached on a fielder's choice, and sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford (1-3, 1 run), who had an infield single.

Both sides went scoreless again in the fourth, but only Longwood left a runner on base, as freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (0-2, 1 bb) was stranded after a walk. In their next chance at the dish, Nishitomi slapped a leadoff infield single. She then stole second and advanced to third on a long fly out by Baltzell. Short followed with a long ball to right center, extending LU's margin to 5-0 after five complete. Sophomore Casey Lifsey/Portsmouth (1 bb, 2 runs) scored one run for the visiting Lancers in the sixth as a pinch runner on a wild pitch, making it 6-0.

George Mason got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a walk and an error. In their final at-bat, Longwood got a RBI double from Murphy, a two-RBI, pinch-hit single from freshman Hannah Burmeister/Chesapeake (1-1, 2 RBI) and a fielder's choice RBI from freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia (0-3, 1 RBI) make it 10-1. George Mason posted a final run in the bottom of the seventh, but could not overcome the deficit, as Longwood earned the 10-2 victory.

Sophomore Libby Morris/Dillwyn (4-2) turned in a complete-game performance in the circle for Longwood, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out three.