FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood softball loves the spotlight. Apparently so does Karleigh Donovan.
 
Longwood's junior slugger mashed a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Longwood (24-12, 9-3 Big South) to a comeback 3-2 win over first-place Liberty on national television Sunday evening at Lancer Field.
 
"We had a great crowd today and it was a great atmosphere," said Longwood head coach Kathy Riley. "Our pitching really kept us in the game and our pitchers did a good job of withstanding the pressure that Liberty put on us. We did a good job of staying within ourselves and even though Liberty had a lead on us, our girls didn't get out of sorts and did a good job of staying calm and relaxed."
 
Playing host to a home ESPNU broadcast for the first time in school history, Donovan earned a starring role on the national stage when she cranked her go-ahead bomb over the right field wall to propel the Lancers to a series win over their Commonwealth rival Flames. The homer was the third of the season for Donovan and followed a leadoff bunt single from Destiny Martinez that started the sixth-inning rally.
 
"I got an up and in pitch and I just swung," Donovan said. "I got a pretty good outcome out of it, up against the scoreboard.
 
"I was nervous coming in and I don't really ever get nervous because we're not on television nationally all the time. It was nice to have everybody out here supporting us and it really did mean a lot for ESPN to come here today to see us play."
 
The big hit was the latest big hit for Donovan – a player beginning to gain a reputation for coming up big when her team needs it the most. Just this season, it marks the third game in which she has come up with a big hit with the game hanging in the balance with her sixth inning two-run double against No. 15 Cal to hand Longwood a lead along with her game-deciding hit in the second game of Longwood's three-game sweep against Radford.
 
"Karleigh has the confidence in herself that she can do these kind of things," Riley said. "That's why she's able to come up in these situations and withstand a valley or two where she doesn't have a couple of good at-bats. She still believes in herself and believes that she can get a hit."
 
After Donovan's homer, Longwood freshman Sydney Backstrom (7-4) closed out the win with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, earning her second win in as many days against Liberty (30-10, 10-2).
 
"Both of our pitchers pitched well, but Sydney [Backstrom] did a good job of mixing her speeds on them," Riley said. "Liberty came out and were aggressive early in the count. One of the reasons we went to her is that she does a good job of mixing her speeds and she gets a lot of spin on the ball. We were really trying to away some of their aggression."
 
Backstrom came on for Longwood starter Sydney Gay and tossed three perfect innings to lower her ERA to 1.97 on the season. The Huntersville, N.C. product earned a pair of wins against the Liberty, limiting the Flames to a combined five hits in her two appearances while striking out seven.
 
"I got a little nervous out there knowing I couldn't let up a run, but I knew that my pitches were working and that I had a great defense behind me to back me up," Backstrom said. "I was really excited to be the one to finish the game today."
 
The win gives Longwood four consecutive Big South series wins this season and closes the gap for first place in the conference to just one game, with Liberty leading 10-2 to Longwood's 9-3.
 
The late-inning rally gave Longwood its only lead of the game after Liberty jumped out to a 2-0 lead with an RBI groundout in the second inning and a solo homer from Sarah Robertson in the fourth.
 
But Longwood catcher and slugger Kaylynn Batten jumpstarted the Lancer offense in Longwood's next turn at the plate with a solo homer of her own. Backstrom took the mound in the next inning and held the Flames scoreless over the final three innings, setting the stage for Donovan's dramatic game-winning homer.
 
Sydney Gay started the game for the Lancers, giving up two runs on four hits in four innings while adding a strikeout in her duel with Liberty ace Julia DiMartino.
 
DiMartino (18-6) took the loss, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five batters with 90 pitches, 62 for strikes.
 
On the day, Kasey Carr led the way for the Lancers at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, as she had two of Longwood's six hits.
 
Longwood has three Big South series remaining to close that gap, beginning with next weekend's three-game set at Presbyterian on April 14-15.
 
"We just have to keep doing what we're doing," Donovan said. "We've had solid pitching and defense. We just have to come out and practice hard tomorrow to prepare for the midweek games that we have coming up and our weekend series against Presbyterian."
 
#GoWood