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TUCSON, Ariz. – The Longwood University softball team split a pair of decisions to wrap up play at the Wildcat Invitational hosted by the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. on Sunday. The team topped the University of Iowa (4-10), 4-1, in its first game of the day before facing a hard-fought, 7-6 setback against Valparaiso University (3-10) in the nightcap. Junior Megan Baltzell/Stafford went 4-for-7 on the day with one run and one RBI to pace the Lancers' offense. Sophomore Jaime Barbour/Amelia logged three hits and one RBI of her own, while classmate Carly Adams/Colonial Heights batted .375 (3-8) with three RBI and two home runs. Freshman Jenna Carnes/Six Mile, S.C. and junior Libby Morris/Dillwyn split time in the circle in the victory against Iowa, as Carnes (4 hits, 1 strikeout) went the first four innings to secure the win and Morris (1 hit, 3 strikeouts) hurled the final three innings to pick up the save. Longwood will remain in Arizona to square off against Arizona State University in a single game on Tuesday, March 4 at 9 p.m.

"Our coaching staff was really impressed with how the ladies responded to each and every challenge that Iowa threw at us," said head coach Kathy Riley. "Jamie Barbour came up big for us defensively and had a clutch RBI late in the game. It was a team effort and a team win."

Longwood pulled ahead, 1-0, in the top of the first inning, as sophomore Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-6, 3 runs, 1 RBI) drew a leadoff walk and Baltzell knocked her in with a double left center. Iowa threatened to knot the score in the bottom of the second with a pair of hits, but Haley Hansel was thrown out at home trying to take an extra base on a single to left field to end the inning and keep the Lancers' lead intact. Both sides went three-up and three-down in the third, but were able to plate runs in the fourth. In the top of the inning, Adams logged a base hit to center field and Baltzell followed with a two-bagger, putting runners on second and third before junior Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, Calif. (2-8, 1 run, 1 RBI) drove a RBI single to center. Longwood added one more run during the at-bat, as a sacrifice fly by junior Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Calif. (2-5, 1 RBI) scored Baltzell to put the Lancers on top, 3-0. In the home half of the inning, the Hawkeyes cut the difference to just two on a RBI double to right center.

Longwood posted the only other run of the contest in the top of the sixth, when Sciacca sent a line drive to left center before advancing to third on a base hit by Shinrock and scoring on an infield single by Barbour to give the Lancers the 4-1 margin of victory.

In the squad's final game of the tournament, Longwood fell behind in the first inning when Valparaiso used an RBI double and a three-run home run to take a 4-0 advantage. The Lancers retaliated in the top of the second, as senior Amy Putnam/Poquoson (0-2, 1 run) walked and freshman Taylor Hedrick/Fredericksburg (1-6, 1 run, 2 RBI) followed with her first career home run to straight-away center, making the score 4-2. The Crusaders loaded the bases in the home half of the inning, but were unable to capitalize when Longwood turned a double play.

"Today we learned some valuable lessons regarding playing from the first pitch through all seven innings," said Riley. "We just opened the door too many times for a competitive Valparaiso team."

After both sides were retired in the third and the Lancers left a pair of runners stranded in the top of the fourth, Valpo extended its lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the inning, using a pair of Longwood miscues to plate a pair of runs. The Lancers fought back in their next trip to the dish, however, when Murphy and Adams each went yard in consecutive at-bats to left and right field, respectively, cutting the difference back to two at 6-4. Adams homered once again in the top of the seventh with two outs, marking her first ever multi-home run game, to knot the score at 6-6. The Crusaders countered, though, with a long ball of their own in the home half of the inning for the walk-off, 7-6 win.