NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Longwood softball team exploded for a season-high eight runs in the fourth inning, erasing a three-run deficit, to secure a 12-6 victory over Charleston Southern in Big South action at the CSU Softball Complex on Sunday.

The Lancers used hits from eight different players in the win, getting three apiece from Sophia Knock (3-for-4, double, four RBIs, stolen base) and Brooke Bennett (3-for-3, three runs scored, RBI, walk) to improve to 14-21 overall and 2-1 in the league. The victory ensured the Lancers' 10th Big-South-opening-series win in 13 tries since joining the league for the 2013 season.

"Very pleased with the response from yesterday," Longwood head coach Dr. Megan Brown said. "Definitely what we wanted to see out of our team, coming back strong. Still working on being clutch when we need to, but saw a lot of that today, which I was pleased with. They've been working on that. They've been working very hard on that. So, pleased to see that.

"Pleased to see them pulling together as a team. We weren't perfect today, but they played as a team. And that's the number one thing we have to do moving forward, is adjust, be clutch when we need it, and stay together as a team."

Charleston Southern (6-26, 1-5) built a 3-0 lead through three innings, behind a solid three innings of one-hit pitching from Riley Lauffer (4-9) and timely hitting, but the Lancers got to the Buccaneers' ace in the fourth.

The first five Longwood batters to step to the plate reached base against the right-hander. Bennett led off with a single through the left side, Brooke Masingale followed with an infield single before Knock lined an 0-2 pitch to the right-center field gap for a double to score Bennett, cutting the deficit to 3-1. After Maggie Hiatt walked, Avery Miller rocketed her second pinch-hit double in as many days to center, bringing in Knock and Masingale to tie the game, 3-3.

With one out, Sophia Pisacano doubled to right center, scoring Bailey Bucholz and pinch runner Jordyn Hern for a 5-3 lead. Reliever Brenna Conley then uncorked a wild pitch, moving Pisacano to third, and walked Kate Westmiller, who stole second. With two out, Bennett walked to load the bases before Masingale lined a single to center on the first pitch she saw, scoring two, to extend the lead to 7-3.

Knock then shot a base hit through the right side of the infield, scoring Bennett, to cap the outburst. 

The eight runs in the frame marked the most the Lancers scored in a single inning this season, besting the seven scored in both the first and second innings in the 18-10 win over Mount St. Mary's on March 1.

"I was pleased with not just two-out [hitting] but two-strike, as well," Brown said. "Things we've been talking about and working on, because we needed to grow in that area." 

Westmiller added a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to make it 9-3 and Longwood scored three more times in the seventh on a Bennett RBI single to left field and a Knock single through the left side that plated two as the lead grew to 12-4. 

Carsten Sandvig doubled home two in the bottom of the seventh for CSU to account for the final tally.

Maggie Chapin (8-8) went the distance in the circle for the Lancers to pick up her 13th complete game of the season. She scattered seven hits and five earned runs, striking out six against four walks for the victory.

"We had a good film this morning, went over what we wanted to do," Brown said of Chapin. "She made some adjustments she needed to do, so pleased to see her come out and throw a good game."

Longwood returns to action Tuesday at North Carolina Central in Wednesday doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.