FAIRFAX, Va. — Senior right-hander
Er'ron Burton piled up a season-high nine strikeouts in a complete-game victory as the Longwood softball team earned a 3-2 win over George Mason on Saturday.
The victory helped the Lancers (6-14) split the day, after opening with a 3-1 loss to Ohio.
Burton, in her first start of the season, posted her first complete game since April 27, 2024 at Charleston Southern. She scattered four hits and two earned runs with just three walks in 112 pitches, improving to 1-0 on the year.
Maryanna Guy went a season-best 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI to pace Longwood's seven-hit attack.
Brooke Bennett,
Bailey Bucholz,
Avery Miller and
Sophia Knock had the others.
"Lots of grit and fight," Longwood head coach
Dr. Megan Brown said. "Those are the types of games we will need to win down the stretch so this was great preparation. We needed all 23 to make it work. Have two more tough one tomorrow."
The Lancers scored first in the second as Guy led off the second with a booming double to left field and
Bailey Bucholz sacrificed pinch runner
Kate Westmiller to second before
Avery Miller poked one into the left-field corner for the lead.
George Mason (5-14) took the lead in the fifth when Kaitlyn Bronowicz found a hole through the left side of the infield with two out to score Inman from third. Elyssa DeRosa then tripled home Bronowicz when Bucholz dove and couldn't come up with a sinking line drive in right field.
Longwood responded with a run in the top of the sixth to knot the game, 2-2. Bennett doubled to the gap in right-center field with out and Guy followed suit, bringing in pinch runner
Naleya Bridges.
Burton kept the Patriots off the scoreboard in their half, striking out the side on 15 pitches.
Knock pinch hit for
Mary Zepeda to start the seventh and rocketed a double left center.
Sophia Pisacano moved Knock to third with a sacrifice bunt and
Avery Drake got her home with a ground ball to second base.
Inman walked to begin the bottom of the seventh and Burton fanned Charlotte Montgomery, got a flout to left from Maya McGowan and Bronowicz grounded out to end the game.
The Lancers improved to 3-0 this season and 11-0 all-time against George Mason with the win.
Maggie Chapin registered seven strikeouts through four innings against Ohio (14-6), holding the Bobcats hitless until Cici Keidel's RBI double to right center with two out in the fifth tied the game, 1-1.
Bucholz gave the Lancers the lead, singling home Zepeda with two out in the second after an
Avery Miller base hit.
Ohio plated a pair of runs in the seventh on a Keidel run-scoring single and RBI double from Brenna Frame.
Skipp Miller (6-2) earned the win in the circle with two innings of scoreless ball in relief of Anna Wise. Chapin (3-7) took the loss, allowing five hits, three earned runs and three walks. She struck out nine.
Bennett, Miller, Guy and Bucholz had hits for Longwood — all singles.
The same three teams go at it again Sunday with the Lancers taking on Ohio at 10 a.m., and George Mason at 3 p.m.
