ROCK HILL, S.C. – A fourth inning two-out home run from Winthrop freshman third baseman Ashley Westbrooks proved to be the difference, as the Eagles held on for a 1-0 win over the Longwood softball team in the opening game of the three-game series Friday night at Terry Field.

Westbrooks' home run backed the pitching performance of Kiley Majette and Keleigh Romine, as the two Eagle pitchers limited the Lancer offense to just two hits throughout. Majette (9-9) earned the win after four strong innings and returning to the game with the bases loaded and one out to get the final two outs and preserve the win for the Eagles.

Majette went 4.2 innings, allowing one hit, while walking one batter and striking out eight. Romine came into the game and threw 2.1 innings while giving up one hit and a pair of walks in the outing, all of which came in the seventh inning.

Westbrooks' home run spoiled a second straight complete-game performance from Longwood starter Sydney Gay (9-9), who has yielded just two runs in her last three outings across 18 innings of work. Gay gave up just three hits throughout Friday's start, while walking three and striking out five. It marked the 11th time this season the sophomore has struck out at least five batters in the game.

Justina Augustine had both of Longwood's hits in the game, raising her batting average to .241 on the season. It marks Augustine's fifth multi-hit game of the season, which trails only the seven multi-hit games from Karleigh Donovan.

The win for the Eagles (18-17, 4-2 Big South) extends their win streak at Terry Field to six straight, as Winthrop improves to 11-4 at the site of the 2013 and 2016 Big South Championships. Longwood (12-17, 1-3 Big South) sees its four-game win streak come to a close and drops its third consecutive game in conference play.

It marks the fourth time in the five seasons that Longwood has been in the Big South that the Eagles have taken a game off the Lancers, as Winthrop snaps a seven-game losing skid against the blue and white dating back to the opening game of the 2015 series in Rock Hill.

Longwood had its best opportunity to tie the game in the seventh inning, after Augustine led off the inning with a single and Kasey Carr and Destiny Martinez each worked a pair of one-out walks to load the bases against Romine. However, Winthrop brought Majette back into the game and she was able to seal the win with a strikeout and a groundout.

The two teams will conclude the three-game series with a Saturday doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m. The games will air on the Big South Network.

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