Lancer Field Report: The series everyone wanted
Softball (24–12, 9–3)
After dispatching future Big South member Hampton and Elon early in the week, Longwood quickly shifted their eyes to the most anticipated regular season series in school history. The Lancers were set to host rival Liberty who was riding a nine game win streak and sat atop the Big South standings. To add even more drama, the series finale was the first ever sporting event televised on national TV (ESPNU) at Longwood.
Kathy Riley’s Lancers fell in game one of the series 3–2 despite a late inning comeback and a strong outing by Sydney Gay. In game two the arm of Sydney Backstrom and the bats of Bug Batten (2–2, 3B, 2 RBI) and Jenna Dunn (1–2, HR, 3 RBI) propelled Longwood to a 6–2 win that snapped Liberty’s ten-game win streak, an undefeated Big South season, and set up a huge rubber match on ESPNU Sunday evening.
Sunday’s finale did not disappoint as the Big South’s two biggest aces, Sydney Gay and Julia DiMartino took center-stage. Gay’s only struggles came against the Flames Sarah Robertson who scored in the second inning after crushing a double and then again in the fourth with a solo homerun. Bug Batten responded with a solo shot of her own in the fourth inning and in the circle Kathy Riley decided to turn to Backstrom. The freshman hurler pitched three perfect innings to keep the Flames at bay and then there were some sixth inning heroics from Karleigh Donovan.
After the HUGE series win, Longwood is still in second place in the conference but trails Liberty by only one game. After a pair of ACC games early this week, Longwood will head to Presbyterian to play a Blue Hose team that is just 3–31 this season and has won one conference game.
Last Week: W 2–1 vs Hampton, W 10–7 vs Elon, L 3–2, W 6–2, W 3–2 vs Liberty
This Week: 4/10 at North Carolina, 4/11 at Virginia, 4/14–15 at Presbyterian
Baseball (9–21, 3–9)
Ryan Mau’s team had a huge opportunity across a two week stretch where they played the two worst teams, not named Longwood, in the Big South in series against Charleston Southern and Radford. After those two weeks, Longwood went 2–4 in those series and remained tied for last place with CSU.
Longwood has one batter, Sammy Miller, who has at least 50 at-bats and is batting over .250 on the year. On the mound, no Lancer who has started a game has an ERA lower than that of Michael Catlin (4.98).
Longwood has now dropped 11-straight Big South series, not winning one since St. Patrick's Day weekend last season against Charleston Southern. The team will once again take on a Big South bottom dweller this weekend at Asheville.
Last Week: L 12–6 vs VMI, W 13–10 vs George Mason, L 18–4, W 4–3, L 5–4 vs Radford
This Week: 4/10 at VMI, 4/13–15 at UNC Asheville
