MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Longwood's hot start to the 2018 regular season continued Sunday, as the Lancers picked up a pair of convincing wins over Northern Illinois and Iona to complete play at the Cougar Classic at Patriot's Point.
 
Longwood's offense erupted for 13 hits in a 7-2 win over Northern Illinois in the opening game of the day, before freshmen Sydney Backstrom and Arleigh Wood combined for a one-hit shutout in the Lancers' 8-0 run-rule win over Iona.
 
The three-time reigning Big South champion Lancers (4-1) continue their best start since the 2014 season, putting together three games in the tournament with 10-plus hits and strong pitching throughout.
 
"We're extremely happy to get off to a positive start this spring," said Longwood head coach Kathy Riley. "While we have lots of things to work on, we also have things we did well. Pitching was very good this weekend minus the walks and we responded well to challenges."
 
In her first weekend playing Division I softball, Backstrom (3-1) earned a pair of wins Sunday, throwing a gem in Longwood's win over Iona with four perfect innings.
 
Backstrom rounded out the weekend leading the pitching staff with a 3-1 record in five appearances, three starts. The Huntersville, N.C., product tossed 16.1 innings, giving up just one run throughout the three-day tournament.
 
She led a Longwood pitching staff that yielded just seven earned runs in five games of the Cougar Classic. 
 
2017 first-team All-Big South selection Kaylynn Batten led a dynamic Longwood offense at the plate with a pair of three-hit games to finish 6-of-7 (.857) with three doubles, five RBI and two runs scored. For the weekend, Batten batted a team-best .600, finishing with eight RBI while slugging 1.000.
 
Jessica Smith put together a 5-of-6 day, including a career-high four hits in Longwood's win over Northern Illinois. Smith extended her hitting streak to six games dating back to last season's NCAA Knoxville Regional.
 
Leah Powell had her first three-hit game in Longwood's win over Northern Illinois to round out a strong weekend for the rookie. Powell had multiple hits in two games throughout the weekend, as she added six runs throughout the weekend.
 
Wood made her career debut Sunday, making an appearance in both games and giving up just one hit.
 
"I know these girls have a desire to get better each day and that's our goal this week, as we prepare for the UNCW Tournament," Riley said.
 
After a successful opening weekend to the 2018 season, Longwood will now turn its attention to the UNCW Tournament Feb. 23-25 in Wilmington, N.C. The Lancers open the tournament with a doubleheader against host UNCW and Bucknell Friday, Feb. 23 starting at 3 p.m.
 
Longwood 7, Northern Illinois 2
 
A 4-for-4 day from junior Jessica Smith, along with a pair of three-hit games from Leah Powell and Kaylynn Batten led Longwood to a convincing 7-2 win over Northern Illinois in its first game of the day.
 
Smith, a junior from Chesapeake, Va., led the way with a career-high four hits, as part of a 13-hit performance put on by the Longwood bats. The 5-2 Smith drove in a pair of runs while scoring an additional run, as part of Longwood's first four-hit day of the season.
 
Longwood was able to overcome a two-hit day from Northern Illinois' Anne Allen.
 
Smith's performance, along with multi-hit games from Powell and Batten, backed Longwood's pitching performance that saw Sydney Gay, Sydney Backstrom and Arleigh Wood combine to allow just two runs on three hits.
 
Backstrom (2-1) picked up the win after coming on in relief of Gay in the fourth and allowing just a hit and a walk in 2.1 innings. Gay got the start and allowed two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out five.
 
Wood came on to pitch a clean seventh in her Longwood debut.
 
Powell and Batten each joined Smith with multi-hit games, finished with three hits apiece. Batten, a 2017 first-team All-Big South performer, added a pair of doubles to go along with her two RBI and run scored. Meanwhile, Powell collected her second multi-hit game of the weekend, driving in one run and scoring two.
 
Tara Thacker (1-4) took the loss after earning the start for the Huskies. She gave up three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two.
 
Longwood 8, Iona 0 (5)
 
Longwood picked up its first run-rule victory of the season with a 8-0 victory over Iona behind four perfect innings of work from freshman Sydney Backstrom.
 
The Huntersville, N.C. spun a gem in her second start of the weekend, throwing four clean innings and striking out three to pick up her third win of the tournament. Only one ball that Iona hit throughout the four innings left the infield. Backstrom combined with classmate Arleigh Wood for the shutout, Longwood's first shutout of the season.
 
Wood worked the fifth, as Iona's Ciarra DiGuillio broke up Longwood's combined perfect game bid with a leadoff single in the inning.  
 
Kaylynn Batten led Longwood at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance, her second three-hit game of the day. The Kenly, N.C., product drove in three runs and added a run scored, moving her batting average to .600 to start the season.
 
Batten was one of five Lancers to record hits in the game, as Krista Kelly added a pair of RBI with a two-run single in the fourth while Jordan Clark, Destiny Martinez, Jessica Smith and Glenn Walters all finished with hits.
 
Marnie Skinner (1-1) was hit with the loss for Iona, throwing 3.2 innings and giving up eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits and four walks. She struck out two, before giving way to Samantha Bender.
 
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