ATLANTA – The Longwood softball team opened the season at Georgia Tech's Buzz Classic with losses to No. 12/14 Alabama, 13-0, in five innings and Villanova, 5-1, at Mewborn Field.

"Tough day," said Longwood head coach Dr. Megan Brown. "But tough days are what you need to grow. Saw too many positives to be anything but encouraged."

In the first game of the day, the Crimson Tide (2-0) scored 12 times over the final two innings to bring the game to an end. Kali Heivilin went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in the fourth inning and two-run double in the fifth, scoring twice, to help break the game open.

Kenleigh Cahalan blasted a solo homer to right field with two out in the top of the first to get Alabama on the board. The Lancers had five baserunners over the first three innings but were unable to scratch a run off Alabama pitchers Jaala Torrence and Alea Johnson before the Tide offense came to life.

With one out in the fourth, Alabama coaxed a pair of one-out walks off Longwood right-hander Er'ron Burton prior to Heivilin's bomb over the left-center field fence made it 4-0. Leading 5-0, a double to left center from Heivilin pushed the lead to 7-0. Lauren Johnson added an RBI single for an eighth run before Kat Grill and Lauren Esman collected pinch-hit RBI knocks – Esman's a double – for the final margin.

Lauren Taylor, Maryanna Guy and Sophia Knock had hits for Longwood. Burton (0-1) took the loss in the circle in 3 1/3 innings, giving way to Cierra Gawryluk and Maggie Chapin.

Torrence (1-0) earned the win for the Tide in 2 1/3 innings, surrendering two of the three hits and two walks while striking out two.

Longwood got on the board first in the second inning against Villanova (2-1) when Berkeley Whitten scored Korynna Anderson with a groundball to second base. Anderson singled through the left side with one out, going to third as Knock reached on an error.

The Wildcats knotted the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the third with an unearned run off of Chapin, taking the lead with an Elaina Wagner solo homer leading off the bottom of the fifth. Villanova added three in the sixth for the final with a Wagner RBI double and two-run single by Victoria Sebastian.

Lauren Fox was 2-for-3 while Lauren Taylor and Anderson had the other hits for Longwood. Chapin gave up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Kelsey White (1-0) threw five innings to earn the victory. She gave up all four hits with the one run and a walk. She struck out four.

The Lancers play the same two teams Saturday with Villanova up fist at 11 a.m., and Alabama at 1:30 p.m.