The Longwood softball team took two losses on the road this past weekend in South Carolina to the Winthrop Eagles. This was the Lancers fourth conference loss putting them 1-4 in the conference and 12-19 overall.
Winthrop beat Longwood 1-0 on March 31 after Winthrop freshman and third baseman Ashley Westbrooks hit a fourth inning two-out home run. The two Eagles pitchers, Kiley Majette and Keleigh Romine, held the Lancers to only two hits in the game and securing their shutout. This was the fourth time in the five seasons Longwood has been in the Big South conference that Winthrop has taken the win.
Sophomore pitcher, Sydney Gaye, has yielded only two runs in her past three outings with the Lancers. Gaye struck out five Winthrop hitters, making it her eleventh time this season striking out five or more players in a game.
The Lancers then fell 4-5 to the Eagles in the first game of the day on April 1. Winthrop came back into the game in the seventh inning by scoring three runs to overcast Longwood’s two runs. Winthrop freshman Ashley Westbrooks led the Eagles to victory by hitting the game tying two-run double, and then hitting the game winner run in the bottom of the seventh inning. While Longwood junior first base-man, Kelsey Sweeney had an impressive game with two outs and two-run triple, it was not enough to push past the Eagles effort in the seventh inning.
The Eagles then continued on to take the tournament sweep after winning the third and final game of the tournament 3-2. Morgan Lower the sophomore outfielder for the Eagles hit the winning run in the bottom of the fifth. Longwood junior outfielder, Glenn Walters, helped erase a two run deficit by hitting a home-run at the top of the inning.
Longwood senior pitcher, Biz McCarthy, moved to being Longwood’s all-time career strike-out leader. McCarthy also moved to the Top 10 in Big South history in career strike-outs. Before the day began McCarthy was only one strike out shy of tying previous Longwood all-time career strike-out leader Brianna Wells. McCarthy tied her in the first game of the day second inning, and then continued on to surpass her and claim her title all-time career strike-out leader. McCarthy finished each of her three full seasons here at Longwood with 145 strikeouts or more, and is one of only two Lancers in the 500 strikeout club.
This was Winthrop’s fourth straight win in a row and moved them to second place in the Big South Conference standings. The Eagles were also the first team in conference to have swept the Lancers since they joined the conference five years ago.
The Lancers will continue on the road to play North Carolina on March 4. They will be pushing for the win to make it their fourth straight win against an ACC opponent. The Lancers next conference match will be against Gardner-Webb and be hosted home on Saturday, and look to gain their second conference win.
