BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Caitlin Colley lined a double into the left-field corner with no one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring Lilly Deaton from first base, as Gardner-Webb nipped the Longwood softball team, 1-0, on Friday at Brinkley Stadium.
The run-scoring double spoiled a strong, seven-strikeout complete-game effort from Maggie Chapin. The right-hander allowed just four hits and two walks, but Gardner-Webb's Alli Stidham countered with a five-hit shutout, fanning four, to take the first of a critical three-game Big South series for both teams.
"Tough fight tonight from both teams," Longwood head coach Dr. Megan Brown said. "Our game is a game of inches and tonight showed how they matter. Have two tough games ahead of us tomorrow."
Longwood (21-30, 7-8) outhit Gardner-Webb (27-22, 6-10), 5-4, but was unable to plate any of its seven baserunners on the afternoon.
The Lancers put two runners on with two out in the top of the first with consecutive singles from Sophia Knock and Maggie Hiatt. A bobble in left field on the Hiatt base hit allowed the runners to move to second and third. Stidham (12-6), however, induced a grounder to short from Ava Abromavage to end the threat.
Chapin (13-11) did not allow a hit through the first 2 2/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Maggie Knight worked a walk from Chapin to start the bottom of the fourth inning prior to the Colley double. Pinch runner Deaton chugged all the way around from first and slid under the tag from catcher Brooke Bennett for the lead. After official review, the play stood as called.
A wild pitched advanced Colley to third, but Chapin buckled down and retired the next three hitters, striking out Jailyn Tineo for the first out, to avert further damage.
Longwood then put Kate Westmiller and Avery Miller on with one and two out, respectively, in the top of the fifth, but could not get them in.
Hiatt was hit by a pitch to begin the sixth, and advanced to second with an Abromavage sacrifice, but didn't go beyond that.
Saturday's doubleheader has been moved up to 11 a.m., to beat the threat of weather in the area. The Lancers will need to win at least one of the games to qualify for the Big South tournament.
