COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – Coming into the day matching its best start in the program's Division I era, the Longwood softball team dropped a pair of games in the Texas A&M Invite throughout the day Saturday at Davis Diamond.
 
The Lancers fell victim to a dominant pitching display from Kayla Poynter in a 4-1 loss to a Texas A&M team that came into the tournament receiving 11 top 25 votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. Longwood dropped its second game of the tournament in a 6-4 setback in a rematch with Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in the nightcap of the day.
 
Longwood's Kaylynn 'Bug' Batten hit her first home run of the season against Texas A&M, before Madison Blair and Karleigh Donovan each had a pair of base hits in the game against the Islanders.
 
With her two-hit day against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, Donovan is hitting her stride with six multi-hit games on the season, including three in her last four games to raise her batting average to .370 which is the second-highest mark on the team behind Chelsea Whitcomb.
 
Sydney Gay gave up one earned run throughout the day in 5.2 innings of work to lead Longwood pitching that also saw Sydney Backstrom and Mason Basdikis make appearances in the circle. Gay moves her streak of consecutive outings without giving up more than two earned runs to 12 straight, each of her appearances on the season.
 
Longwood concludes play in the Texas A&M Invite Sunday, March 3, as the Lancers face a rematch with Lamar. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
 
Game 1: Poynter, Aggies Take Down Lancers 4-1
 
Kayla Poynter limited Longwood to one run on one hit while striking out 10 batters to lead Texas A&M past Longwood 4-1 in the opening game of the day.
 
The performance from Poynter (2-2) came one day after Longwood's bats had a combined 26 hits in a pair of games during Friday's doubleheader sweep over Lamar and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.
 
Kaylynn 'Bug' Batten had Longwood's only hit of the game, with a solo blast in the fourth inning – the first of the season for the Longwood backstop and the Preseason Big South Player of the Year.
 
Aggie leadoff Kelbi Fortenberry led Texas A&M at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance while adding an RBI on her sixth inning single down the line to score Blake-Ann Fritsch.
 
The loss brings an end to Longwood's three-game winning streak, as the Lancers matched their best-ever start to the program's Division I era Friday.
 
Payton McBride and Kelly Martinez added a pair of RBI, respectively, with McBride's third inning double into right center field proving to be the difference.
 
Sydney Backstrom (5-2) drew the start and took the loss in allowing three runs on three hits. She added one strikeout to her total, as it brought an end her streak of four consecutive wins when earning the decision.
 
Sydney Gay tossed 3.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits. She added three strikeouts to her total on 63 pitches, 32 for strikes.
 
Game 2: Errors Cost Lancers in 6-4 Setback to Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
 
A pair of sixth inning Longwood errors allowed Texas A&M – Corpus Christi's Sammi Thomas singled in Ashley Moss and the go-ahead run for the Islanders in a 6-4 upset over Longwood.
 
Texas A&M – Corpus Christi capitalized on three Lancer errors, scoring six unearned runs in the ballgame, as four of Longwood's five losses on the season have come when committing two or more errors.
 
The Islanders overcame a three-run Longwood first inning and a pair of multi-hit games from Karleigh Donovan and Madison Blair, who each went 2-for-3.
 
Nine different Islanders scattered hits throughout, as Alyso Silvas scored a pair of runs in her 1-for-3 performance and Kenn Johnson added a pair of RBI in her performance.
 
Kand Johnson (2-4) picked up the win for Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits and three walks while striking out three of 32 batters faced and throwing 142 pitches, 81 for strikes.
 
Sydney Gay (5-3) took the loss after coming on in relief and throwing two innings, giving up a pair of unearned runs on one hit while walking two and adding a pair of strikeouts. She lowered her ERA to 1.22 on the season.
 
Mason Basdikis earned her first career start in the circle, giving up four unearned runs in 1.1 innings on six hits. Sydney Backstrom pitched 2.2 innings and allowed two hits while also fanning a pair of batters.
 
#GoWood