Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore pitcher Libby Morris/Dillwyn held the opposition to just one hit through five complete innings before the Longwood University softball team was defeated, 5-0, against James Madison University (42-16) to be eliminated from the NCAA Regional in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday evening at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Longwood, who left eight runners on base in the outing, retired 12 JMU batters in a row between the second and fifth innings before the Dukes were able to pull away in the bottom of the sixth, scoring its first run as the rain began to fall, and four more following the weather delay. Morris recorded two strikeouts and four hits in the complete game performance to finish the season with a 21-10 record in the circle. Four different Lancers recorded one hit apiece to lead the squad's offensive effort. James Madison advances to take on North Carolina State University to play for a spot in the Regional Final, which will take place tomorrow, Sunday, May 19 beginning at 1 p.m. Longwood finishes their record-setting 2013 campaign with a 41-20 overall record.

“We chased a lot of bad pitches today and we really didn't show much discipline, so we weren't able to string anything together,” said head coach Kathy Riley. “The fact is that coming out of the rain delay they had bases loaded with no outs, and I think as a pitching staff, we could have called a different pitch, as well. We should have looked for a ground ball situation because obviously we wanted to go home on the play and not even have a sacrifice fly, but we just didn't make that call.

“I'm really proud of the team. At the beginning of the year, if I was writing down what I thought would happen, I wouldn't have expected this. I think in any postseason tournament you have to be fortunate to have things fall your way … I feel like we made great strides this season, most of which were mental. We had three freshmen starting in the infield and eight total underclassmen on defense, and that makes a big difference. A lot of times, the dynamic is different with older players who are more mature, so I thought the kids handled themselves really well.”

In the top of the first, senior Brooke Short/Hurt drew a two-out walk to extend the inning, but after a lengthy at-bat, sophomore Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, California struck out looking. Longwood, who played tough defense throughout the game, went to work in the home half of the first to retire the JMU side in order. Freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-3) picked a hard-hit grounder and threw to freshman Jamie Barbour/Amelia (0-2, 1 bb) for first out before doing the same for the second. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii (1-3, 1 bb) ended the inning when she tracked down a long fly ball near the wall in left center and made the one-handed, snow cone catch.

The Lancers registered two quick outs on two pitches in its next trip to the plate, as Murphy popped out to the shortstop and freshman Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (0-3) fouled out to the third baseman, but senior Jordan Cox/Springfield (1-3) followed with a shot down the left field line that rolled all the way into the corner for a standup double. Cox was stranded there, however, as Barbour was out on a chopper back to the pitcher. The Dukes threatened in the bottom of the second, as the leadoff batter swung on the first pitch and dropped a single into shallow left. On the next play, Morris fielded a grounder and initially pumped towards second before turning to first, but Barbour wasn't looking for the throw and the ball sailed over her head to put runners on second and third with no outs. Longwood pulled together, though, and was able to get out of jam unscathed with three consecutive infield outs.

Both sides went three up and three down in the third before Longwood had an opportunity to take a lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Sciacca doubled off the wall in center and Murphy followed with a liner up the middle to put runners on the corners. However, the team was unable to capitalize, as the next two batters flew out.

The Lancers continued to play strong defense through James Madison's next two at-bats to retire a total of 12 Dukes in a row. In the top of the fifth, Nishitomi ripped a two-out base hit up the middle, and in the top of the sixth, Murphy reached on a fielder's choice, but both were stranded there. The game changed in the bottom of the sixth as the rain began to fall. A JMU pinch hitter logged a blooper to shallow right to start things off and a pinch runner then advanced on a wild pitch. The next batter broke the game open with a RBI single back up the middle and over the head of Morris to put James Madison ahead, 1-0. Adams and Murphy collided on the next play to put runners on second and third with no outs. An intentional walk loaded the bases before the game was halted for a rain delay.

Following the delay, JMU's Jailyn Ford turned on just the second pitch she saw and connected on a line drive that found its way over the fence, just inside the left field pole for a grand slam to make it 5-0 in favor of the Dukes. The Lancers came back with three quick outs to take their final trip to the plate. Barbour and Nishitomi both earned a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs, but a fly out down the left field line secured the 5-0 decision for James Madison.