FARMVILLE, Va. – Nothing came easy, but Longwood softball used grit and some timely hits to win the third and final game of the series against Radford on Saturday afternoon.
 
Bailey Bucholz delivered the clutch two-out, walk-off single down the line for Longwood (21-26, 7-5 Big South) that also clinched the series in a 6-5 thriller.
 
The sophomore's game winner was her first base hit of the day, and it couldn't have come at a better time. After Radford had tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh, Sophia Knock and Maggie Hiatt both walked to start the inning against the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year, Dakota Redmon.
 
A sacrifice bunt put the winning run at third, but Redmon put a second out on the board with strikeout. However, Bucholz stepped to the plate and poked a line drive down the left field line that dropped in for the walk-off winner as the team mobbed her down the first base line.
 
"That's the thing you've got to have for the experience later in the year," said Longwood Head Coach Dr. Megan Brown about how important it is to be able to execute in those moments. "As you get later and later in the year and games get tighter and tighter, the competition gets closer and closer, you have to have that experience. You have to be able to say, 'Okay, I've been clutch before. I've been under this pressure.' We simulate it in practice, like everybody else, but it's hard to. You can't get the games, the adrenaline, the emotions in practice. Very pleased with our young ladies, with their response, their fight and their grit."
 
The Lancers, who won the opening game of the series 1-0 last night before falling 8-0 in the first game of the doubleheader today, bounced back with plenty of fight the final game. The team scored in five of the seven innings.
 
"We talked about it in between games," Brown said. "We can't let one thing throw us off. We've got to respond. We've got to handle our business. We can't take one game into the other, especially this time of the year. If you get kicked in the teeth and knocked on your tail, you've got to come back and throw the next punch, and they reset themselves and came out ready to roll."
 
Longwood took the lead in the first inning of the final game on an two-out RBI single from Sophia Pisacano, but Radford answered with three runs on two timely hits in the second to take a 3-1 lead.
 
However, Brooke Bennett and Sophia Knock both singled in runs in the home half of the inning to tie the game at three.
 
The Lancers took the lead again in the fourth when Ava Abromavage raced home from first on a Brooke Bennett single from right.
 
Radford answered in the fifth to tie the score, but Lauren Faulkner's RBI double to right field put Longwood back up by one the following half-inning.
 
The Highlanders tied the game after loading the bases in the seventh, but the Lancer defense made a big-time double play to escape the jam when Sarah Terrell gunned down Malli Groves trying to come home on a fly ball to end the inning.
 
That set the stage for Bucholz to deliver.
 
Maggie Chapin (13-9) picked up the win for Longwood with her second complete game in as many days. She struck out three while giving up five runs, four earned, on five walks and eight hits.
 
Redmon (7-12) took the loss for Radford. She gave up six runs, three earned, on eight hits and five walks while striking out four.
 
In the first game of the day, Radford jumped out to an early lead by capitalizing on Longwood miscues, and the Highlanders never looked back.
 
Redmon drove in a pair of runs, and Radford used a four-run fifth inning to pull away in the 8-0 win.
 
Morgan Cooper (8-7) got the win for the Highlanders with five shutout innings. She struck out three while giving up four hits.
 
Cierra Gawrulyk took the loss after giving up four runs, one earned, and pitching into the third inning. She gave up three hits and two walks.
 
Longwood hits the road for a midweek matchup at UNC Greensboro on Wednesday, April 15 at 5 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+.
 
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