Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. – Sophomore Carly Adams/Colonial Heights hit .333 (1-3) with two RBI, as the No. 2 seeded Longwood University softball team fell, 7-2, against No. 7 Charleston Southern University (26-31-1) in the semifinals of the 2014 Big South Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon in Conway, S.C. The game was decided by a three-run homer by CSU's Jessica Brock in the third, as the Lancers could not overcome the early deficit. Freshman Elizabeth McCarthy/Dunnsville and junior Libby Morris/Dillwyn split time in the circle for Longwood, as McCarthy allowed four runs in three innings to record the outcome, and Morris hurled the final four frames with three runs and one strikeout. With the decision, Charleston Southern advances to the conference championship game on Sunday, May 11 at 12 p.m., while Longwood is eliminated from the tournament with a 40-16 overall record.
 
"Most of the credit today has to go to Charleston Southern," said head coach Kathy Riley. "They came out and played really good softball. Early in the game, I thought our club did well getting people on base, and even though I thought we fought hard, we just didn't come up with the clutch hit to put the pressure on them and see how they would react. They got to play from ahead again today and I think that was beneficial for them, whereas it would've been nice to see us be the one to force the issue with them. After they did score, I feel like our kids played the rest of the game as hard as they could've played it. I'm proud of the type of response we had and how we handled ourselves."
 
Longwood and Charleston Southern combined for three runners left on base in the first inning, as the Lady Bucs logged a two-out single up the middle, while junior Megan Baltzell/Stafford (0-1) and sophomore Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach (1-2, 1 run) drew back-to-back walks. McCarthy and the Lancers' defense retired the CSU side in order in the top of the second, allowing the squad's offense to threaten in the home half of the inning. Freshman Justina Augustine/Warrenton (1-3) sent a skidder back up the middle of the field and sophomore Jamie Barbour/Amelia reached on a misplayed ball on a sacrifice attempt before both advanced on a cleanly executed sac bunt from senior Amy Putnam/Poquoson (1-2), although the team was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
 
The Buccaneers broke the game open in the third with a pair of singles and a three-run homer to straight-away center field. Later in the inning, two more hits followed by a Longwood miscue gave CSU the 4-0 advantage. The Lancers responded, though, and chipped away at the difference in the bottom of the inning. Baltzell was hit by a pitch, junior Chelsea Sciacca/Whittier, Calif. (1-4, 1 run) singled to center and Murphy legged out a bunt single to load the bases. A double play cut a run down at the plate, but Adams answered with a two-RBI triple to left to make the score 4-2.
 
Morris entered the game in relief for the Lancers in the fourth getting two outs on two pitches before sitting down the side on a groundout to Murphy at shortstop. In the Lancers' next trip to the dish, Barbour beat out a ground ball to the pitcher and Putnam found a gap on the left side to put runners on first and second before Baltzell was intentionally walked with two outs. However, CSU's relief pitcher, Cheyenne Gandara, was called out of the bullpen, striking out the first batter she faced and extinguishing the opportunity. Neither side was able to plate a run in the fifth, but Charleston Southern extended its buffer to 5-2 in the sixth with one run on two hits. The Lady Bucs added two more runs in the seventh on back-to-back RBI singles to left, and when Longwood was unable to make any noise in the bottom of the inning, the 7-2 decision was sealed.