ELON, N.C. — After sweeping the first day of the Elon Softball Classic, Longwood found themselves on the other end, dropping a pair of games to Elon University to conclude the classic.
Longwood (2-2) fell victim to a dominant pitching performance from Kenna Quinn in a 4-2 loss in game one to the Phoenix. Game two saw Elon's (3-1) offense come alive late, scoring 11 of their 13 runs in the final four innings of play as the Lancers dropped the finale, 13-3.
Sydney Backstrom struck out eight Elon batters in her 6.0 innings of work, bringing her season total to 21 strikeouts with only 14.0 innings of work in the circle.
Offensively Kelly Park reached base in all three plate appearances in game two, and Sydney Jacobsen connected on the first home run in the 2020 season for the Lancers.
Longwood will now begin a stretch of 15 straight games in the Sunshine State starting at the Bubly Invitational hosted by the No.7-ranked University of Florida Gators. The Lancers will open the Invitational against Florida A&M University on February 14 with first pitch set for 2:0 p.m.
Game 1: Elon Uses Dominant Pitching Performance to Top Lancers
A dominant pitching performance and timely hitting allowed Elon to secure an early lead that carried the Phoenix to a 4-2 victory over the Lancers in the first game of the doubleheader between the two programs.
Elon jumped out to an early lead due using three hits in the first inning to take a two run advantage over the Lancers. Sydney Backstrom rebounded and settled down for Longwood, striking out four of the next six batters she would face.
After four innings of Elon's Kenna Quinn not allowing a Lancer hit, Longwood jumped on Quinn in the fifth inning when Lauren Taylor got the Lancers their first of the game. Elon committed three errors allowing Taylor and Destiny Martinez to cross the plate for the Lancers, cutting the deficit to one run with two innings left to play.
Elon responded in the bottom half of the fifth inning adding one run of insurance off of a Keagen Goldwait single to left field that allowed Elon all it needed to go on to win game one of the doubleheader 4-2 over the Lancers.
Backstrom added eight strikeouts to her season total in 6.0 innings of work picked up her first loss of the season after Elon scored four runs and eight hits against the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Backstrom counterpart Kenna Quinn held the Lancers hitless through four of her 7.0 innings of work, allowing four hits and two runs as Elon gave Longwood their first blemish of the season.
Game 2: Five Run Fifth Fuels Elon Past Longwood
Rebecca Murray and Morgan Reich combined to go 5-of-6 from the plate for Elon with four RBIs apiece as the Phoenix topped the Lancers 13-3 in six-innings of play.
Elon for the second straight game took an early lead after scoring in the first inning off of a single to left field allowing one run to score. Longwood behind the bat of Sydney Jacobsen responded in the top of the second with the Lancers' first home run of the season as Jacobsen homered to right field.
Longwood took the lead in the third inning when Breenna Huggins reached base on a throwing error that allowed to Kasey Carr to score. The Lancers took a 3-1 lead when Kelly Park continued the Lancers' success in the third innings with a double down the left line scoring Huggins.
The Phoenix led by Murray and Reich went on to score 12 runs in the final four innings of play including a five run fourth inning, sparked by a three-run home run that fueled Elon past the Lancers in six-innings of play, 13-3.
Arleigh Wood received the loss in the game throwing 3.2 inning of work allowing four hits and three earned runs. Angelina Sherba entered in relief in the fourth inning and finished the final 1.1 innings for the Lancers.
#GoWood
