BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Libby Morris opened Saturday's Big South semifinal with a strikeout and nearly six hours later, the senior sent Longwood to a second Big South Championship game in three seasons with her ninth strikeout of the game.

Longwood (32-23) overcame a three and a half hour rain delay and Morris was brilliant in the circle, posting a season-high nine strikeouts, sending Longwood to a 5-2 victory over second-seeded Coastal Carolina at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.

The Lancers advance to their second Big South Championship game in three seasons since joining the league in 2012-13.

Morris finished one strikeout shy of her career-high, fanning nine Coastal Carolina batters and limiting the Chanticleers to just four hits on the day. The 2013 Big South Tournament MVP pitched all seven innings and allowed just five Coastal Carolina batters to reach base safely.

"Libby really pitched a great game for us today," said head coach Kathy Riley. "She was the MVP of this tournament a couple years ago and she came out focused, ready and confident. "

Coming out of the rain delay, Chelsea Sciacca stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and laced a one-out double to the gap in left center to give the Lancers a 5-2 cushion. Batting from the three-hole for the first time this season, the senior led Longwood with three RBI on the day.

"We put Chelsea in the three-hole by design and she has been really seeing the ball well," Riley said. "She's a very calm hitter and doesn't really get too rattled, so she handled the pressure well."

Carly Adams and Justina Augustine led the Lancers at the plate with two hits apiece, while Sciacca finished the day 1-of-2 with three RBI and a run scored.

Kiana Quolas suffered the loss for the Chanticleers (33-24), allowing five runs, including four earned, in six innings pitched. Quolas gave up six hits and walked seven Longwood batters.

Morris came out strong, striking out the first two Coastal Carolina batters via strikeout, before getting Kory Hayden to ground out softly to the circle. She held the Chanticleers without a hit until Hayden's solo blast in the fourth inning to get Coastal within a run, 2-1.

"Megan [Baltzell] called a great game and we kept them off balance," Morris said. "Once I got into my groove, I felt really comfortable."

For the first time in the tournament, Longwood jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Carly Adams ripped a two-out double down the right field line to score Baltzell and Sciacca.

"I was just excited that I could come up big for my teammates," Adams said. "I'm looking forward  to the opportunity to do something big for the school. Tournament play is different than the regular season. The atmosphere is different and I absolutely love being apart of it."

After the Lancers and Chanticleers traded runs in the fourth inning, Sarah Rasley homered in the top of the fifth inning, bringing the score to 3-2, before play was delayed with one out in the top of the sixth inning for three and a half hours. Longwood held a 3-2 lead when the tarp was put on the field.

"I actually thought the rain delay was a help to us," Morris said. "It allowed us to get our minds right for the final five outs of the game."

Following the delay, Morris was able to get out of the sixth going against the heart of the Coastal Carolina order. She retired five of the final six batters she faced to pick up the win and send the Lancers to the Championship game.

Longwood will face sixth-seeded Presbyterian in the Championship game, which has been moved up to 10 a.m. as Tropical Storm Ana approaches the North Carolina coast.

"Like most Championship games, it's going to come down to pitching and to who can set the tone on the mound early," Riley said. "I would look for another close game."