KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Longwood softball team earned a pair of come-from-behind victories Saturday over Stetson and Brown to open play at the Tennessee Classic at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Lancers topped the Hatters, 9-6, and the Bears, 6-4 in eight innings, for the sweep, hitting five home runs on the day.

"So proud of our grit today," said Longwood head coach Dr. Megan Brown. "They showed their heart and fighting spirit in every inning. Excited for the growth we are seeing in them both on and off the field. Very proud of our young ladies."

Longwood (5-9) used four solo shots to top Brown after falling behind. Sophomore Sophia Knock, the reigning Co-Big South Player of the Week, hit homers in both games and now has seven in 14 games this season. Her blast to left in the second inning got Longwood on the board, 2-1. 

Freshman Maggie Hiatt homered to left for her first career tater in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Freshman Avery Miller followed suit with her first as a collegian in the fifth inning to right center to make it 4-3.

Then, after Hiatt singled through the left side to start the seventh and pinch runner Avery Drake was sacrificed to second, freshman Naleya Bridges singled to right and Drake scored on a throwing error to tie the game, 4-4.

Emily Vinson scored Miller with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth prior to Kayley DeVivi's third homer of the year to left center provided the final margin.

Maggie Chapin scooped the win with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief of Er'ron Burton and Cierra Gawryluk. Chapin permitted just two hits and no walks with five strikeouts, improving to 5-4 on the season.

Vanessa Alexander went 4-for-4 at the top of the lineup for Brown (3-3), while Macy Borowski tossed a complete game, falling to 1-2 on the year.

Longwood scored five times in the bottom of the third inning, erasing a 4-0 lead to defeat Stetson.

Hiatt went 2-for-2 with a walk, hit by pitch and four RBIs, leading the Lancers' 10-hit attack. Knock hit her sixth home run in the bottom of the sixth inning — a solo shot to left field — for insurance.

Vinson and Lauren Taylor both also collected two hits and scored twice while Chapin claimed the win in the circle with 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts. Gawryluk recorded the last five outs to earn her first collegiate save.

The big blow, with two out and the bases loaded in the third, came from Hiatt. The Henrico, Va., native singled to right-center field and moved to second on the throw, chasing Taylor, Peyton Coleman and Vinson home for the lead. Vinson doubled to left, plating Lauren Fox and Kate Westmiller with no one out to cut the lead in half.

DeVivi (double) and Knock (single) added consecutive RBI hits in the fourth to open a 7-4 edge. Stetson crept to within 7-6 with single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings before Knock and Hiatt put the game away with the homer and single, respectively.

Stetson dropped to 6-11 in defeat, but received three hits from Madelyn Synoracki and two apiece from Evette Morgan and Kami Eppley. Morgan drove in three runs and Eppley two.

Hannah Marien started in the circle for the Hatters and took loss in 2 2/3 innings. She surrendered three hits, three walks and five runs, all earned, with one strikeout.

The Lancers face Brown again Sunday at 2 followed by No. 8/9 Tennessee at 4:30 p.m.