ROCK HILL, S.C. – Longwood dug themselves into a hole for the second straight game, but unlike Wednesday against Coastal Carolina the Lancers were unable to finish the dramatic comeback.
Winthrop scored the first three runs of the game with two coming in the third and two in the fifth, while escaping two bases loaded jams in two of the final three innings to notch with a 4-2 victory in the first game of the three-game series.
"Winthrop came out and was the aggressor," said head coach
Kathy Riley. "They really hit a lot of ground balls that they saw, because they were attacking the first good pitch they saw."
Sara Allen took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning, marking the second straight game an opposing pitcher hasn't allowed a hit through the first four innings. In addition to picking up her seventh win of the season, Allen also drove in the winning run to bring home Leah Young off a single through the left side.
"We took too many strikes and got ourselves into holes with pitchers counts instead of a hitter's count," Riley said. "I felt if we had been more aggressive early in the count than we would've hit the ball well."
Young was spectacular at the plate going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. She was one of two Eagle batters with a multi-hit game, as Haley Zuehlke posted a 2-for-3 performance with the game's only homer.
Longwood threatened to complete the comeback bid, scoring two times in the top of the sixth. However, unlike Wednesday when the Lancers were able to string together timely hitting the squad was unable to get the big hit and left the bases full to end the fifth and sixth innings.
"It was nice to come back and get an opportunity, but it just wasn't meant to be because we weren't aggressive enough," Riley said.
The blue and white was unable to match its longest winning streak of the season of three games and falls to 8-15 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Winthrop improved to 12-14 and 1-0 in Big South play.
The game marked Longwood's first game back in Terry Stadiium – the site of its 2013 Big South Conference Championship – since taking home the crown and advancing to the school's first NCAA Tournament in the Division I era.
Allen (7-4) limited the Longwood lineup to two runs on three hits and five walks to pick up the victory. She also posted four strikeouts threw 113 pitches. Sutton Watson picked up her second save of the season, coming on in relief of Allen and tossing 1.1 innings and allowing just one walk.
Libby Morris (3-6) saw her two-game win streak come to a halt, as she allowed four runs, including three earned, on nine hits and two walks while pitching all six innings.
The Eagles struck first in the third inning with two runs on two hits and an error. The third inning has been the worst inning this season for Longwood with a -33 run differential.
After the first two batters of the inning reached base safely, KJ Uyeno came around to score off an RBI double from Young. Young would come around to score later in the inning on a play, where
Emily Murphy threw out Paige Haley at the plate and Allen reached on a throwing error from
Megan Baltzell trying to end the inning with a double play.
Kelsey Sweeney recorded the first hit of the day for Longwood in the top of the fifth, as she was the first of three straight freshmen pinch-hitters to step into the box with one out.
Krista Kelly followed and was able to get aboard and advance Sweeney to second.
Glenn Walters followed with a one-out walk to load the bases. However, Winthrop was able to get out the inning after
Casey Lifsey struck out swinging and Murphy hit a weak ground ball to second base to strand the bases full.
The Eagles used the momentum to extend its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the inning after notching three consecutive two-out hits. Allen recorded what would become the game-winning RBI single just out of the reach of Murphy's glove to bring home Kelsey Ritter.
Longwood fought back in the bottom of the inning after
Justina Augustine reached base safely for the third straight game. After moving to second on a wild pitch, she was able to move to third off a
Megan Baltzell ground out. She scored one batter later after
Haleigh Kilby grounded out to short.
The next three Lancers would reach base to load the bases with two out for the second consecutive inning. Kelly came home off an illegal pitch that was the first pitch that Watson threw in place of starter Sara Allen. Walters then proceeded to draw a walk and Lifsey lined out to third base to end the threat.
Haley Zuehlke tacked on an insurance run for the Eagles after taking Morris deep to left field for her second home run of the season.
Walton pitched a perfect seventh getting Murphy, Augustine and Baltzell to give the Eagles the first game of the series.
Longwood and Winthrop will conclude the series with a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. The first game of the twin bill will be aired live on ESPN3, while the second game will be broadcast on the Big South Network.
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