WILMINGTON, N.C. – Off to its best start since the 2014 season, the Longwood softball team opened play in the 2018 Seahawk Softball Classic with a doubleheader split of host UNCW and Bucknell Friday afternoon at Boseman Field.

The Lancers (5-2) received a strong performance in the circle from Sydney Gay and Sydney Backstrom to earn a 3-1 win over the host Seahawks (3-3) before a late rally in the second game of the day fell short in a 7-4 loss to Bucknell (1-1).

The Lancers equal the 5-2 start that the 2013 and 2014 squads posted en route to two of the program's three 40-win seasons.

"It was not our best softball today and we paid the price for it in the late game against Bucknell," said Longwood head coach Kathy Riley. "We were poor defensively which ended up being the biggest factor in not being able to make a positive run in the late innings."

2017 second-team All-Big South performer Jordan Clark led the Lancers at the plate, going 4-for-8 in the two games and recording a pair of multi-hit games. Clark added a pair of doubles in her performance, raising her batting average to .346 for the season. With the pair of multi-hit games, the Midlothian, Va., product has produced a base hit in six of Longwood's seven games this season.

In addition, Krista Kelly and Jessica Smith each continued their red-hot start to the 2018 season, collecting a hit in each game. For Smith, it extends her hitting streak to eight straight games dating back to the 2017 NCAA Knoxville Regional.

Sydney Mundell worked a perfect two innings in her only appearance of the day while Gay picked up her second win of the season in Longwood's 3-1 win over the host Seahawks.

"We'll start over tomorrow and work towards playing at a higher level," Riley said.

Longwood returns to the field Saturday, Feb. 24 to for a rematch of Friday's doubleheader against UNCW and Bucknell. The Lancers will open the day against the Seahawks at 12:30 p.m. before closing out the day against the Bison at 5:30 p.m.

Longwood 3, UNCW 1

Longwood pitchers Sydney Gay and Sydney Backstrom combined to allow one run on six hits, as the Longwood softball team earned a 3-1 win over host UNCW to open the 2018 Seahawk Softball Classic.

Gay and Backstrom limited UNCW to just six base hits and four walks while Jordan Clark added a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, as Longwood moved to 5-1 to equal its best start to a season since the 2013 campaign that saw the Lancers win a school record 41 games.

Longwood was able to outlast a 2-for-4 performance from Seahawk first baseman Emily Langkamp, who had two of six hits for UNCW (3-3) in the game and added the only run for the tournament host.

Gay (2-0) earned her fourth start of the season in the circle, allowing one run on four hits and a walk in four innings of work while adding one strikeout. Backstrom, who earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors Monday, came on in relief to start the fifth to toss three scoreless innings, allowing a pair of hits while striking out a pair.

Gay and Backstrom were supported by three Longwood runs, as the Lancers strung together seven hits. Clark led the offensive performance with her 2-for-4 outing. Jessica Smith extended her hitting streak to eight straight games dating back to the 2017 NCAA Knoxville Regional while Krista Kelly, Destiny Martinez and Leah Powell all added hits.

Sarah Davis (1-2) was hit with the loss for the Seahawks, allowing two runs on six hits in five innings while striking out four.

Bucknell 7, Longwood 4

A 2-for-3 day at the plate with two runs scored along with a complete-game performance from Lauren Lichtenwainer aided Bucknell past Longwood 7-4 in the second game of the afternoon.

Lichtenwainer (3-2) gave up just five Longwood hits while allowing four runs, one earned to hold in check a Longwood team that had come into the game winner's of five of its first six games in 2018. Lichtenwainer overcame a two-hit game for Jordan Clark, along with RBI base knocks from Krista Kelly and Jessica Smith.

Despite being down 7-1, Longwood rallied for three runs in the sixth inning with a rally that saw Kelly and Smith deliver base hits to drive in runs.

Lichtenwainer was backed by a Bison lineup that strung together seven runs on nine hits, the most yielded by Longwood pitching in the early portion of the 2018 season. She was one of eight different players in the Bison batting order to record a hit in the game while Taylor Wolfgang also added a pair of RBI.

Clark, who singled and doubled in the game, had her third multi-hit game of the season. In addition to Clark, Kaylynn Batten, Krista Kelly and Jessica Smith each added a hit.

Sydney Backstrom (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk in three innings. Her scoreless streak ended with seven innings, as she added a strikeout to her resume.

Arleigh Wood came on in relief of Backstrom in the fourth, giving up four runs, two earned, on three hits and a walk. Sydney Mundell worked the final two innings in perfect fashion, picking up a strikeout while throwing 23 pitches, 14 for strikes.

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