Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FARMVILLE, Va. – Junior Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, Calif. hit .714 (5-7) with a team-best two RBI and an .857 slugging percentage, as the Longwood University softball team split a pair of decisions against in-state opponent Virginia Tech (31-18) of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday evening in Farmville. The Lancers fell, 5-3, in game one before earning a 3-0 shutout victory in game two. Junior Megan Baltzell/Stafford was 2-for-4 (.500) through the pair of games with two runs and one RBI to add to the team's offense, while three Lancers batted .333 (2-6) with one run. Freshman Elizabeth McCarthy/Dunnsville picked up the win in the circle, striking out five and allowing six hits in her third shutout of the season. Junior pitcher Libby Morris/Dillwyn went the distance in game one with one strikeout, eight hits and just three earned runs. Longwood (34-13) will travel to Columbia, S.C. this weekend to take on the University of South Carolina on Friday, April 25 at 6 p.m. and on Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m.
 
"Tonight we had two great softball games," said head coach Kathy Riley. "They were not only enjoyable for me as a coach to be involved with, but for the fans and both teams, as well. I thought both teams came out and played hard on both sides of the ball. It's not too often that I'm satisfied, but it was a very satisfying experience for us tonight to come out and play two strong games against Virginia Tech."
 
The Hokies pulled ahead early in game one, loading the bases in the top of the first thanks to pair of hits and a walk before a hard-hit single up the middle gave the visitors 2-0 advantage. Another base hit put two more VT runners in scoring position, but Morris battled back and forced a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning. In the Lancers' first chance at-bat, Baltzell led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Katie Shinrock/Fountain Valley, Cailf. (2-6, 1 run), but she was held there. Both sides went three-up and three-down in the second, although the Hokies would extend their margin by a pair of unearned runs in the third with a Lancer miscue, a sacrifice fly and a RBI infield single that was popped high into no-man's land. Junior Casey Lifsey/Portsmouth (2-6, 1 run, 1 RBI) tallied Longwood's first hit of the day in the bottom of the inning, ripping a liner to left, and moved to second on a clean bunt by sophomore Jamie Barbour/Amelia (1-5). Baltzell followed with a RBI single, taking an outside pitch to left center, before Sciacca turned on the first pitch she saw, sending the ball back up the middle to plate Baltzell and cut the difference in half at 4-2.
 
After Morris retired the VT side in order in the top of the fourth, freshman Taylor Hedrick/Fredericksburg (1-6) extended the home half of the inning with a two-out chopper up the middle, but the squad was unable to capitalize. The Hokies made noise in the fifth, once again loading the bases with a single, an error and an intentional walk, but the Lancers got out of the situation unscathed, cutting the lead runner down at the plate for the second out before sophomore Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-6, 1 RBI) made a great leaping snag at shortstop to end the inning and extinguish the opportunity. The Lancers carried the momentum into their next at-bat, as Baltzell got things started with a one-out base hit, Shinrock followed with a bunt single and Sciacca added a bloop single to shallow left, however, all three would be stranded there. A two-out solo homer gave VT a three-run lead in the sixth, but Longwood was able to get the run back in the bottom of the inning when freshman Justina Augustine/Warrenton (2-6, 1 run, 1 RBI) registered a leadoff hit, stole second with a diving slide and moved up to third on a fly out before crossing the plate on a RBI single by Lifsey to make the score, 5-3. Both sides left one stranded in the seventh to seal the 5-3 decision for Virginia Tech.
 
McCarthy worked out of a bases loaded situation in the first inning of game two, allowing the Lancers to pull ahead in their first trip to the plate. Baltzell drew a leadoff walk and Shinrock legged out a single to the pitcher before both advanced on the same play thanks to a throwing error. Sciacca then popped a RBI double into shallow left field to put the Lancers on the board, and Murphy followed with a cleanly executed squeeze bunt to plate Shinrock, giving the home squad an early 2-0 advantage. The bats were silent in the second, and although the Hokies put a pair of runners on in the third, McCarthy got out of the jam with two strikeouts. After VT logged a double in the top of the fourth, Augustine earned a two-out walk in the home half of the inning to break a string of 11 consecutive Lancers retired, but the score remained, 2-0.
 
In the fifth, the Hokies went three-up and three-down, while Longwood's lone runner was Baltzell, who had gotten aboard on an infield single. McCarthy turned in a four-pitch effort in the top of the sixth before Sciacca, sophomore Carly Adams/Colonial Heights (1-7) and Murphy started the bottom of the inning with three consecutive infield singles to load the bases and bring up Augustine, who sent a base hit to left, adding an insurance run for the Lancers. Despite two hits for the visitors in the top of the seventh, Longwood held on to secure the 3-0 shutout.
 
Longwood and Virginia Tech have met 21 times in the sport of softball. The Lancers now hold a 14-7 advantage in the all-time series.