RADFORD, Va. – Facing a fourth-seeded Campbell squad that had already collected two elimination-game wins in the tournament, the second-seeded and three-time reigning Big South champion Longwood softball team strung together timely hitting and a three-run fifth to stave-off elimination in a 6-5 victory, advancing to a second contest Friday night.

With the win, Longwood (38-15) advances to a second elimination game against either third-seeded Radford or top-seeded Liberty. That game is set for 5 p.m. at Radford Softball Stadium.

Deadlocked in a 3-3 tie with the bases juiced and one out, senior first baseman Kelsey Sweeney delivered a two-run single back up the middle to bring home the go-ahead run and keep the Lancers' four-peat hopes alive.Freshman Leah Powell, who is making her Big South tournament debut this weekend, followed Sweeney's clutch knock with a one-run double for an insurance run that proved to be pivotal down the stretch.

Three different Lancers -- Destiny Martinez, Karleigh Donovan and Jordan Clark -- recorded multi-hits for the Lancers, including an inside-the-park home run for Clark that gave her both of her RBI on the day. Meanwhile, the two-hit day for Donovan was her second of the tournament, as she has collected hits in nine of her last 10 games with five multi-hit performances in that span.

In the win, Longwood got strong pitching from the duo of Sydney Gay and Sydney Backstrom as Gay tossed three innings before Backstrom provided the final four frames to pick up her 13th victory of the season.

Backstrom (13-5) gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in her four innings while striking out a pair of batters. Meanwhile, Gay, an All-Big South First-Team selection, received her second straight start in the circle, giving up two runs on a pair of hits in three innings of work.

Megan Richards (17-13) took the loss, giving up six hits, three earned, on eight hits in 4.1 innings. She threw 124 pitches, 66 for strikes.

The Lancers were able to outlast a Campbell squad that slugged three home runs, including a pair from Lizabeth McCurry as part of a 2-for-3 day with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

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