FARMVILLE, Va. – Sydney Gay worked a complete game three-hit shutout in the opening game of the day, before Kelsey Sweeney and Carly Adams combined five hits, three RBI and a run scored to lead Longwood to a doubleheader sweep of Winthrop Saturday afternoon at Lancer Field.

With the pair of wins, the Lancers (19-11, 7-2 Big South) complete the three-game season sweep over the Eagles (12-28, 2-9 Big South). Longwood captured the opening game of the afternoon, 1-0, before winning the series finale, 8-5. Longwood matches its longest win streak of the season with five straight victories and improves to a season-best eight games over the .500 mark.

"It feels good to come out and get three wins this weekend," said head coach Kathy Riley. "We have a lot of respect for Winthrop. They're a hard-nosed team that plays hard and they don't ever quit."

Gay, a rookie from Carrollton, Va., was dominant in Longwood's 1-0 victory in the first game of the day. The freshman matched her season-high with nine strikeouts, while allowing just five baserunners in the game. It marked the second consecutive game Gay has finished with eight-plus strikeouts and the third time in the in her past five starts.

"Sydney looked like she was in control in the first game," Riley said. "She spotted the ball real well and she didn't get into any trouble. It's a testament to her and how hard she's been working in practice."

For the week, Gay worked 12.1 innings and gave up just one earned run while striking out 17 batters. She was part of a Longwood pitching staff that combined for 35 strikeouts and notched a 1.56 ERA in five games.

Jamie Barbour, Carly Adams and Kelsey Sweeney led the Lancers at the plate. Sweeney was 2-for-3 in the second game of the day with three RBI. In addition, Adams and Barbour each had a pair of hits, as Barbour extended her hitting streak to three straight and Adams extends her reached base streak to a season-best seven straight.

Karleigh Donovan provided the offense for Longwood in the opening game with her third blast of the season in what proved to be the game-winning run. It marked her second home run in a three-game span. Barbour also added her second home run of the season in the second game.

"One of the reasons we inserted Karleigh at third base is that she's a good hitter," Riley said. "She's able to make adjustments at the plate and she plays with a lot of confidence."

With the series sweep of Winthrop, Riley moved to within three wins of capturing No. 600 of her 19-year Longwood career. The program's all-time wins leader, Riley has not posted a record below the .500 mark in any of her previous 18 campaigns of her Longwood career.

Up next, Longwood hosts Liberty in a three-game midweek series with first-place in the league standings on the line. The two teams will play a doubleheader Tuesday, April 5 with first pitch set for 3 p.m. from Lancer Field.

Longwood 1, Winthrop 0



Sydney Gay worked a three-hit shutout in the opening game of the day, as Karleigh Donovan provided a fifth-inning solo home run that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 victory to seal the series win.

"I just came in and knew I had to hit my spots," Gay said. "My curveball was working really well. I focused on not overthrowing it, because when I do, it typically goes high. I talked to Kayla [Miller] before the game and told her which pitch was working the best, so it felt good when I came out this morning."

A native of Carrollton, Va., Gay (7-4) matched her career-high with nine strikeouts set just five games ago against Virginia. Of her nine strikeouts, five came with the batter going down on strikes swinging.

Gay was able to work from ahead in the count throughout the contest, getting a first-pitch strike to 17 of the 25 batters she faced. She took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before that was broken up with a single to center field from Morgan Lowers with one out.

That was just one of three hits the Eagles could muster on Gay for the day, as she pitched her fifth complete game of the season in the shutout. She allowed just five Eagle baserunners, allowing a pair of walks and never allowed a Winthrop baserunner to advance past second base. Gay threw 108 pitches and 75 strikes in the game.

With the performance, Gay moves ahead of teammate Elizabeth McCarthy into the top spot in the Big South this season with a 2.05 ERA, as the pair possesses the top two ERA's in the conference.

Donovan provided the lone run of the day in the fifth inning, turning on an 0-1 pitch for her third round-tripper of the season. It marked her first career home run at Lancer Field and the second time in a three-game span that the redshirt-freshman has belted a home run.

Keleigh Romine (1-4) allowed just three hits of her own, as she was stellar in defeat. She gave up the home run to Donovan and walked four batters, allowing seven baserunners. She also struck out one batter.  

Longwood 8, Winthrop 5



Kelsey Sweeney notched a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a career-best three RBI, while Krista Kelly notched a pair of RBI and scored a run and Elizabeth McCarthy earned her third straight victory in an 8-5 win over Winthrop in the series finale.

Sweeney gave the Lancers an early 1-0 lead driving Kelly in during the second inning, before recording a bases loaded double to post two more RBI in a two-run fifth inning.

With the performance, Sweeney enjoyed her sixth game this season with multiple hits, including five of her past 11 games. The Newport News, Va., product has raised her batting average to .296 on the season, just four points shy of the .300 mark.

Krista Kelly – who returned to the lineup Friday night after missing three games – scored two runs, marking her fourth game of the season with multiple runs.

McCarthy (11-6) earned her third straight victory, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk in 6.1 innings of work. Sydney Mundell came on in relief, giving up two unearned runs on three hits, as she faced six batters.

Kiley Majette (6-11) took the loss, after giving up five runs, three earned, on five hits. She added a strikeout in 2.1 innings, before being relieved by Chace Helms.

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