Longwood University Athletics

Games 36-37: Longwood (17-19, 6-3 Big South) at Radford (13-22, 6-3 Big South)
Dates & Times	Game 1 at Radford: April 13 • 3 p.m. Game 2 at Radford: April 13 • 5 p.m. Game 3 at UNCG: April 14 • 10 a.m.
Location	Radford, Va. • Radford Softball Stadium
Game Notes	Longwood | Radford | Big South
Statistics	Longwood | Radford | Big South
Radio / Live Stats	Game 1 at Radford: WVHL 92.9 FM | Live Stats Game 2 at Radford: Live Stats Game 3 at Radford: Live Stats

The First Pitch
•    Continuing a stretch of 11 consecutive road games, Longwood heads west for a three-game Big South rivalry series against Radford this Tuesday and Wednesday.
•    To avoid expected inclement weather, the series now features a doubleheader Tuesday starting at 3 p.m. and a single game Wednesday at 10 a.m.
•    The series will be the first of back-to-back Big South road series for the Lancers, who will have played 17 of 20 games away from home from March 20-April 18. 
•    The Lancers have dominated the series against Radford since joining the Big South in 2013, amassing a 19-1 record in conference play. Longwood won 20 straight against the Highlanders from March 27, 2013 to March 18, 2018.
•    The Lancers have won 20 of their past 21 Big South series. Since joining the Big South in 2013, Longwood has won five league titles and 128 conference games — more than any other Big South team during that span.
•    Longwood is on pace to steal the second-most bases in school history with 83 stolen bases and 2.31 per game. That trails only the 1999 Lancers, who swiped 136 at 5.37 per game.
•    Longwood has faced four top-25 teams this season and will play 11 total games against teams who have either been ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 or received votes in every poll. The Lancers have faced No. 15 Virginia Tech, No. 16 Duke, No. 16 Georgia and No. 18 South Carolina.The Lancers have one top-25 win to their credit this season, a 3-2 win at Georgia. 

Last Time Out
•    Longwood took down the Southern Conference preseason favorite, sweeping a Friday doubleheader 2-0 and 9-6 before the Spartans rebounded for a 10-3 game-three win to block a sweep.
•    Lancer ace Sydney Backstrom fired a three-hit shutout in game one, and Angelina Sherba, Arleigh Wood and Leigha Hill teamed up to allow just two earned runs in game two. 
•    Longwood center fielder Lauren Taylor ascended to the leadoff spot for the first time in her career, reached base safely in all three games, stole two bases, and broke out for three RBI, a double and a homer in the game-two victory. 

By The Numbers
•    Longwood has nine home runs in nine Big South games, ranked as the most homers per game in conference play. Lauren Taylor has three of those, while Sydney Jacobsen and Alexis Wayland have also homered twice each.
•    The 2021 Lancers are on pace to become only the third team in program history to steal 100 bases. Ranked 11th in the nation with 2.25 swipes per game, Longwood is currently 83-for-98 stealing this season. 
•    Four Lancers have amassed double-digit steals this season, including junior Mason Basdikis, who is a perfect 21-for-21. Basdikis has stolen 29 consecutive bases without being caught and ranks No. 1 in the nation in stolen bases by a player who has yet to be caught stealing this season.
•    Longwood is anchored in the middle infield by the graduate student duo of SS Kasey Carr and 2B Destiny Martinez, who have combined for a .961 fielding percentage on the season.  Martinez has committed just two errors in her past 23 games, while Carr has committed just three faults in her 26 games this season.
•    Longwood is tied for the Big South lead with 11 double plays. Martinez has been the fulcrum on a team-high four of those while initiating two others. 
•    Seventeen of Longwood's 20 home runs have come in the past 19 games. Those bulk of those bombs have come from four players, with Lauren Taylor hitting a team-high six, Sydney Jacobsen five, Alexis Wayland four and Nia Green three.
•    Jacobsen ranks second in the Big South with 16 extra-base hits, trailing only league RBI leader Ansley Gilreath of Winthrop, who has 18. Jacobsen is tied for the league lead with seven doubles, ranks third with two triples and is tied for ninth with five home runs.
•    All-Big South RHP Sydney Backstrom has been named Big South Pitcher of the Week three times, tied for the most by a Lancer in a single season.
•    Backstrom ranks among the NCAA's top 10 in innings pitched (130.2), complete games (15) and starts (20). She has thrown 57.8 percent of Longwood's innings.

Quotable
"There are no easy losses, and there are no perfect wins. Softball is a mix of the two, a constant battle to adjust, grow and learn. Today we did all three."
 — Longwood head coach Dr. Megan Brown after winning a three-game series at SoCon preseason favorite UNCG

Series History
•    Longwood and Radford will meet for the 48th, 49th and 50th time this week in a series that Longwood leads 29-18.
•    The Lancers have dominated the series since joining the Big South in 2013, amassing an 18-1 regular-season record against the Highlanders. The teams are tied 2-2 when facing each other in the Big South Championship tournament.
•    Two of Radford's three wins against Longwood since 2013 have come in the Big South postseason, including back-to-back wins in the 2018 tournament that eliminated the Lancers and cut short their shot at a four-peat Big South Championship. 
•    Alexis Wayland is 5-for-12 with a home run and two RBI in three career games against Radford. Sydney Backstrom is 2-2 with one save and a 3.23 ERA in six career appearances in the series.

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