Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. – Freshman Justina Augustine/Warrenton stepped up to bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and drilled a RBI hit to deep center, securing the 6-5, comeback victory for the Longwood University softball team in walk-off fashion against Elon University (21-21-1) on Wednesday evening at Lancer Field. The Lancers, who trailed by as many as five, entered their final at-bat facing a 5-2 deficit before rallying for three runs en route to the decision. Augustine hit .667 (2-3) on the day with two RBI. Junior Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Calif. went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, while sophomore Carly Adams/Colonial Heights was 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Freshman pitcher Elizabeth McCarthy/Dunnsville came out of the bullpen to earn the win, registering a personal-best 10 strikeouts and allowing just one hit in 5.2 innings of work. Longwood (31-9) will travel to Conway, S.C. to take on Big South Conference foe Coastal Carolina University in a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m.
 
"We were very fortunate to come out with the win today because Elon took control from the beginning, so we had to battle back and get into the game," said head coach Kathy Riley. "Now, I will say that our players did not take themselves out of the game. They stayed in it, and in the last inning did a nice job of putting the ball on the ground and making people have to play them. They created opportunities for themselves, doing a better job of making Elon have to play defense after the second inning. It's definitely a better feeling to come away with a win than a loss, so I'm happy for the kids."
 
Elon was aggressive in its first at-bat, using three consecutive base hits to plate its first run of the game before adding another RBI single to center later in the inning, giving the visitors an early 2-0 edge. Longwood got a one-out blooper to shallow right by Shinrock in the bottom of the first, and although she would advance on a groundout, she was caught stealing third to extinguish the opportunity. The Phoenix extended its margin by three in the second with back-to-back doubles and a two-RBI single through the left side. The Lancers went three-up and three-down in their next trip to the dish, but relief pitcher McCarthy struck out the Elon side in order in the top of the third. Augustine was stranded on first for Longwood in the home half of the inning after legging out an infield single to keep the five-run buffer intact.
 
McCarthy made it eight-straight batters retired in the fourth before the Lancers cut the deficit by a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Shinrock started the action with an infield single, advanced on a groundout and scored on a Phoenix miscue. Adams and classmate Jamie Barbour/Amelia (1-4) followed with hits to load the bases, and Augustine drew a RBI walk to make the score, 5-2. Elon left one on in the fifth, as a walk snapped McCarthy's streak of 10-straight batters retired. Shinrock led off in the home half of the fifth with a high chopper to the shortstop before junior Megan Baltzell/Stafford (1-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI) earned a walk and Adams connected on popup that the first baseman was unable to wrangle in, plating a run to pull the Lancers within two at 5-3.
 
After neither side made any noise in the sixth, Shinrock started the seventh inning rally with a walk and scored on the next-play thanks to a triple down the right field line by Baltzell. Adams put the ball in play to the second baseman, reaching on the error and scoring Baltzell to knot the game at 5-5. Freshman Taylor Hedrick/Fredericksburg (0-3, 1 walk) then got aboard with a walk, loading the bases for Augustine, who ripped a shot to the gap in left center to earn the walk-off win.
 
Wednesday's contest marked the 21st meeting ever between Longwood and Elon in the sport of softball. With the win, the Lancers pull ahead, 11-10, in the all-time series.