Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford hit a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel the Longwood University softball team to a 4-2 victory against No. 7 Gardner-Webb University (13-31) at the Big South Conference Championship on Friday afternoon. The Lancers (37-18) took a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the sixth before the Runnin' Bulldogs knotted the score in the seventh and set up the walk-off situation. With the decision, 16th-year head coach Kathy Riley recorded her 500th career victory at the helm of the Lancers. Sophomore pitcher Libby Morris/Dillwyn notched the victory in the circle with five strikeouts in a complete-game effort. Longwood advances to play No. 9 Charleston Southern University tonight, May 10, at 7 p.m.

“I am happy that we ended up coming back and winning,” said Riley. “I think it's pretty obvious that we feel we can play better softball than we did today. We're just more capable hitters, but we've been trying to work our way out of jams. We're going to celebrate the fact that Libby Morris pitched a great game. We had some critical hits, with Kori coming back and getting a hit, Katie leading us off in the seventh and Megan helping us, as well. We're going to celebrate those things and then come out and hope we get 'Uncle Momentum' on our side a little bit, and hopefully we can play better softball at 7 p.m.”

The Runnin' Bulldogs threatened in the top of the first, putting runners on first and second with a leadoff double and a fielding error by shortstop Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (0-2, 1 RBI). Both runners advanced on a groundout, but Morris pitched out of the jam with a strikeout to end the at-bat. In the Lancers' first chance at the plate, senior Brooke Short/Hurt (1-2, 1 bb) drew a two-out walk, but was tagged for the third out on a fielders' choice by sophomore Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, California (0-3).

The game remained scoreless for the next two innings. Longwood forced two quick outs in the top of the second on groundouts to freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (1-2, 1 bb) and senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (0-3). The lower seed forced a two-out walk to extend the inning, but Murphy fielded a hard hit chopper and sent a throw on target to first to end the inning. Adams walked to start the bottom of the second, but the next three Lancers were retired in order to keep the scoreless stalemate intact. In the top of the third, the Runnin' Bulldogs went three up and three down, and in the bottom of the inning, Nishitomi recorded Longwood's first hit of the day when she sent a liner to center with one out in the home half of the third. The Lancers were unable to capitalize, however, as Baltzell and Short both flew out to center field.

Gardner-Webb broke the game open in the fourth, using a walk and a single to put a pair of runners on base. Morris fielded a routine grounder on the next play and tried to get the out at third, but an errant throw allowed the run to score, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs a 1-0 edge. The squad loaded the bases on a drop third strike, but the Lancers were able to get out of the situation with a huge strikeout from Morris.

Longwood left one stranded in the bottom of the fourth and Gardner-Webb recorded three consecutive outs in top of the fifth. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI) came through for the Lancers when she stepped in the box with two outs in the home half of the fifth and blasted a home run high and hard over the fence in right center to knot the game at 1-1. Longwood rolled the momentum into the sixth, as Short led off with a gapper through the right side. Adams followed with a base hit to center and pinch runner Casey Lifsey/Portsmouth took two bases on the play to put runners on the corners. With a 3-1 count, Murphy squared to bunt on a squeeze play and Lifsey beat the throw home to give the Lancers the 2-1 advantage. Freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia (0-3) followed with a line drive that would have surely cleared the bases, but a great diving catch by the GWU second baseman ended the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Gardner-Webb put a runner on with a single up the middle. After a fielder's choice, a bunt single put Bulldogs on first and second, and a RBI single to left tied the score at 2-2. In the Lancers' final chance at the plate, sophomore Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Calif. (1-2, 1 run) led off with a hard hit single to left center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nishitomi. Baltzell then sent the 0-2 pitch deep over the fence in left center to seal the walk-off, 4-2 decision.