RALEIGH, N.C. – Missouri had five home runs from four different players, as the Tigers used the long ball to defeat Longwood, 12-4, in five innings Saturday night in day two of the NC State Hyatt Place Invitational at Dail Softball Stadium.
 
The win for the 19th/20th ranked Tigers is their 10th consecutive victory lifting the squad to an 18-3 mark this season. It also ends a three-game win streak for the Lancers (5-13), who were looking to pick up wins over ranked foes in consecutive games after earning a 5-1 win over NC State Friday.
 
The five home runs for Missouri matched the Tiger single-game record, as four players in the Mizzou lineup recorded round-trippers.
 
"Tonight's game was more about Missouri doing a great job of hitting our mistakes at the plate," said Longwood head coach Kathy Riley. "I thought defensively we played well for the most part, but we just didn't pitch well."
 
Kirsten Mack led the Tigers at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance with two home runs to go along with three RBI. Eight different players in the Tiger lineup recorded a hit with Mack being the lone player with multiple base hits in the game.
 
Longwood senior Megan Baltzell continued her strong individual performance in the tournament with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. That home run marked the 54th career long ball of Baltzell's career, bringing her one shy of matching Brooke Short's school record of 55 career blasts.
 
Tori Finucane (8-3) notched the win for Missouri, tossing 3.0 innings giving up one earned run off two hits and one walk. She also notched four strikeouts while facing 11 Lancer batters. Cheyenne Baxter came on in relief of Finucane and gave up three unearned runs off one hit and a walk.
 
Libby Morris (1-5) took the loss for Longwood, allowing five runs, including two earned, to go along with four hits and three base-on-balls in 1.2 innings. Morris added two strikeouts. Jenna Carnes came on in relief and gave up seven earned runs off six hits and two walks to go along with one strikeout in 3.1 innings of work.
 
Missouri opened the scoring in the top of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Corrin Genovese, after she led off the game with a double and moved to third base on a passed ball.
 
However, sophomore Justina Augustine answered with her second career round-tripper in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, 1-1.
 
Missouri scored four runs in the second inning, as Kelsea Roth launched a pitch to left center field to lead off the inning. The Tigers loaded the bases after a pair of singles and an error, before Morris walked in two batters before being replaced by Carnes. She would walk the first batter that she faced, giving the Tigers a four-run cushion.
 
Mizzou added a run in the third inning, as Mack hit the first of her home runs of the day.
 
Mack added her second round-tripper an inning later, as Missouri launched two more home runs in the top of the fourth inning. Amanda Sanchez hit the first homer of the inning following a walk issued to Emily Crane. Following the Sanchez two-run shot, Roth earned a two-out walk, before Mack brought her home with her second blast of the day.
 
Longwood scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Baltzell scored after an error on Sami Fagan in a rundown attempt.
 
After Alyssa Cousins hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth, Baltzell belted her fifth of the season and third of the tournament to left field to score Augustine in the home half of the inning.  
 
Longwood was originally scheduled to play games against Lipscomb and Fordham on Saturday, but rain altered play in the tournament including the cancellation Longwood's game against Lipscomb.
 
The Lancers will conclude the NC State Hyatt Place Invitational with a game against Fordham on Sunday scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
 
"We're going to make sure we get ready to play tomorrow," Riley said. "We play a good Fordham team and I look forward to seeing us play all of the phases of the game well."
 
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