AUBURN, Ala. – Sophomore Sophia Knock went 4-for-4 with three home runs and six RBIs, but the Longwood softball team's last at-bat comeback fell short in a 9-8 loss to Northern Iowa at the Plainsman Invitational at Jane B. Moore Field Friday.
 
Knock belted home run Nos. 3-5 with a solo shot in the second inning, a two-run blast in the third and three-run bomb in the seventh, but Northern Iowa's Alexis Pupillo countered with three homers and eight RBIs of her own as the Panthers outlasted Longwood (3-9).
 
Knock's first homer to right field made it a 3-1 game in the bottom of second after Pupillo lashed a bases-clearing, three-run double to center field with two out in the top of the inning.
 
Lauren Fox singled with one out in the third and Emily Vinson followed, lining a triple to right to plate Fox for a 3-2 score. Knock then powered a 3-2 offering from Kara Maiers over the center-field fence for a 4-3 lead. Pupillo's second homer of the day gave the lead back to UNI at 5-4.
 
With one run already home in the top of the fifth, Pupillo hammered her third homer, a three-run shot to left center, for a 9-4 lead.
 
Longwood plated a run in the sixth when Avery Miller reached on a throwing error at shortstop. Peyton Coleman – who ran for Knock after she singled – scored on the play, cutting the Lancers' deficit to 9-5.
 
Er'ron Burton held the Panthers (5-2) off the board in the top of the seventh and Longwood nearly completed the comeback as Fox walked to start the inning and Vinson ripped a double to the gap in left-center field to cut the lead to 9-5. With one out, Knock rocketed a 1-2 pitch off of Maiers out to left to make it 9-8.
 
Lauren Taylor singled to short, but UNI's Anna Wischnowski retired Korynna Anderson and Avery Drake to end the game.
 
Longwood outhit the Panthers, 12-8, with Vinson and Taylor collecting three hits each.
 
Wischnowski (6-2) went 6 2/3 innings in e circle for the victory, scattering nine hits and four earned runs with six strikeouts. Maaggie Chapin (3-4) took the loss allowing five earned on four hits and six walks. She fanned four.

Longwood has withdrawn from the remainder of the event due to unforeseen circumstances.