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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Freshman Sydney Gay tossed a pair of complete-game shutouts and Kelsey Sweeney produced a pair of clutch hits, as Longwood staved off elimination and survived into another day at the 2016 Big South Championships by posting a pair of wins over Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina.

Longwood earned a 4-0 win over Presbyterian in a morning elimination game before downing Coastal Carolina 5-0 to force an elimination game in the semifinal with the winner advancing to the championship game. Longwood and Coastal Carolina will play that elimination game Saturday, May 14 at 10 a.m., with the winner going to the championship game, scheduled for 3 p.m..

"I'm happy with our girls coming out and playing two good games to stay alive," said head coach Kathy Riley. "Tomorrow, I think we'll see more of what we saw today in a really good softball game that could've really gone either way."

Sweeney delivered a two-out, two RBI go-ahead double in the game against Presbyterian in the fourth inning, part of a 1-for-1 performance in the game. The sophomore Newport News, Va., product delivered her second clutch hit of the day with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, giving the Lancers a four-run cushion against Coastal Carolina.

"I'm just trying to take it one game, one at-bat and one pitch at a time," Sweeney said. "I think as a team we're in a good state of mind right now. We know what we have to just survive and advance."

Meanwhile, Gay (17-6) was spectacular in the circle, combining to give up eight hits in the pair of complete-game shutouts. The rookie had a total of 13 strikeouts on the day, including 10 in the contest against Presbyterian.

"It was good having my defense behind me and they did a great job of backing me up," Gay said. "I just had to focus on hitting my spots."

Longwood 5, Coastal Carolina 0
Longwood scored a pair of first inning runs and Sweeney ripped a two-run home run, as Gay tossed a five-hit shutout to lead the Lancers to a 5-0 win over Coastal Carolina in the semifinal.

"We played really well today," said head coach Kathy Riley. "That game was the most complete game that we've played so far in the tournament."

The Lancers were led offensively by a 2-for-2 performance from Carly Adams and Sweeney's 1-for-3 performance with a home run. Emily Murphy and Kaylynn Batten also recorded an RBI in the contest with a 1-for-3 performance.

Gay shutdown the top offensive team in the league in Coastal Carolina, holding the Chanticleers to just five hits and walking a pair of batters while striking out three. The freshman threw 109 pitches in the contest, earning her third victory of the tournament.

"Coastal has some good hitters and Sydney did a good job of keeping them off balance," Riley said. "She spotted her pitches really well and was effective in getting ahead in the count."

Longwood took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Krista Kelly led off the frame with a leadoff walk, before Carly Adams got her to third with a single to center field. Kelly came home to score on a squeeze play from Emily Murphy. Murphy came home to score on a wild pitch with Kaylynn Batten to increase the Longwood lead to 2-0.

In the third inning, Coastal Carolina loaded the bases with one out in the inning following a pair of walks and a bunt single from Taty Forbes. Gay induced a weak ground ball from Big South Player of the Year Morgan Noad before getting Mackenzie Conrad to pop up to Sweeney at first to end the inning.

"I just tried to bounce back from my last game against them and really just show them what I can do," Gay said. "I just wasn't on that day. Today, I was hitting my spots and felt good out there."

Sweeney doubled the Lancer advantage with a two-run shot to left field in the fourth inning. That marked her sixth bomb of the season.

Batten added an RBI single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, as she checked her swing on the play. Kelly came home to score.

Longwood 4, Presbyterian 0
A dominant 10-strikeout performance by Sydney Gay and two RBI each from Kelsey Sweeney and Kaylynn Batten guided Longwood to a 4-0 shutout win over Presbyterian in Friday's elimination bout at the Big South Championship.

Gay (16-6), who made her first career Big South Tournament start, came up big in the circle for the Lancers with a complete-game shutout, allowing just three Blue Hose hits and only walking three others. Sweeney went 1-for-1 and helped the Lancers get on the board first with a two-RBI double to right center field in the fourth inning, while Batten also had a two-RBI double in the game to keep the squad's championship hopes alive.

With Presbyterian starting pitcher Katie Brown working a no-hitter into the fourth inning, third baseman Karleigh Donovan recorded the Lancers' first hit of the day with a two-out double, before Glenn Walters drew a walk to set up Sweeney's big fourth-inning hit. The sophomore first baseman then delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to bring home pinch-runner Jessica Smith and Walters and put Longwood on top 2-0.

"We really tried to stay positive and continue to stay with it," Riley said. "It worked out for us, as we grinded out several long at-bats and were eventually rewarded." 

Batten provided another timely hit an inning later, battling through a 12-pitch at-bat with a two-RBI double down the left field line to score runners from second and third, as Longwood doubled its lead to 4-0. Justina Augustine led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch, before Krista Kelly followed with a bunt single.

Brown (11-13) took the loss for the Blue Hose, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks in 4.2 innings pitched. Sydney Sieglar came on in relief and tossed 1.1 innings, allowing no runs and just one baserunner on a walk and a strikeout.

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