FARMVILLE, Va. — Maggie Hiatt blasted the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the fourth inning over the wall in deep center field and Maggie Chapin struck out eight as the Longwood softball team topped Radford, 1-0, in Big South action at Bank of the James Park on Friday.

Hiatt's seventh home run of the season was the only offense Chapin and the Lancers needed, as the right-handed limited the Highlanders to just four hits and four walks. Radford (18-21, 5-5 Big South) loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out on three singles. Chapin (12-9), however, struck out pinch hitter Kelley Feigen swinging and got Amanda Lee to pop up to Hiatt at first base to seal the victory.

"You remember the stress test they give you the cardiologist's office? That's pretty much it," Longwood head coach Dr. Megan Brown said, jokingly describing the emotions of of the tight ending. "A little chest pain, a little short of breath, that whole thing.

"Those were games that we talked about we would need to win later in the year and we weren't at the beginning of the year to be honest and our young women have fought," she continued. "They've learned the lessons that they needed to win to learn to be able to stay in those games. So the goes to them. They've been working really hard, learning to be gritty, learning to stay with the process. So they've done a great job of it."

Chapin was in command all night on the way to to her 16th complete game of the season. 

"She just settled and then just one pitch at a time," Brown said. "She threw a beautiful ball game. That can be a stressful one when you're on the rubber but she has a good team behind her and just stayed the course. That's the whole thing."

Radford, which stranded eight runners in the game, began the seventh with a Hailey Scott single down the left-field line, and with one out, Isabel Harrison singled to center. A Grace Bechtol single through the left side of the infield loaded the bases.  

Brown then went to the circle to settle her senior hurler. 

"Just changing the momentum a little bit," Brown said. "Sometimes you can just need that deep breath. Sometimes it'll just help reset the momentum back in your favor because you still have the lead at that point. It's more of a strategy move than necessarily anything specific. Just a deep breath, reset, go after the next hitter."

Radford's Dakota Redmon was equally strong in the circle, allowing just three hits and two walks in the loss. 

Hiatt finished the night 2-for-2, adding a second-inning single and a walk in the sixth. Brooke Masingale had the Lancers' other safety, a pinch-hit single down the left-field line with two out in the fourth.

Longwood (20-25, 6-4) vaulted Radford in the standings with the win. Coupled with a Winthrop win at home over USC Upstate Friday, the Lancers now sit just one game behind the Eagles for second in the league standings.

Longwood and Radford close the series Saturday with a 1 p.m., doubleheader on ESPN+.