In a pivotal Big South softball showdown on April 11, Longwood Softball clinched their series against Radford with a Bailey Bucholz base hit in the 7th inning. Following an 8-0 loss earlier in the day, the Lancers responded to push themselves into third place in the Big South standings at a 7-5 conference record.
Longwood began by scoring a run in the first inning while Maggie Chapin, who pitched a complete game shutout in the 1-0 win in game one of the series, was on the mound again for Longwood. Radford scored three runs in the top of the second, compounding the pressure on the Lancers. With two runners on base in the bottom of the second inning, in-form catcher Brooke Bennett smacked a base hit to score a run. Senior leader Sophia Knock would then hit a single of her own to knot the score at three a piece.
As the game moved to the bottom of the fifth, freshman Lauren Faulkner belted a double into deep-right field, sending Sophia Pisacano around the bases to take a 5-4 lead into the sixth. Radford would get the tying run they needed to stay alive in the top of the seventh. For the visiting Highlanders, it would all be for naught, as Bucholz would send the fans home happy with her two-out game winning knock to left field.
“These are the games you have got to have in your experience bookbag,” said Longwood softball head coach Dr. Megan Brown. “We simulate [these moments] in practice and every team does, but there’s nothing like in that moment where you’re like ‘hey I’ve got to be clutch’”.
Bennett led the Lancers in hitting as she went 3-4 including a double and an RBI. All RBI’s registered by the Lancers in the game were by different players, which has been a theme for the balanced side all season. “Everybody on the team believes in and cares so much about each other and that’s a big part of what makes us such a good team,” Bucholz said regarding her mindset before her crucial at bat, “Before I was going up to bat, I could hear my teammates telling me ‘you got this, I believe in you’, and that honestly made me feel even more confident and comfortable.”
Chapin’s pitching came in handy through some adversity for the Lancers as she tossed yet another win, her thirteenth of the season. Longwood’s ace gave up four earned runs and struck out three batters while walking five of them. “ I just try to go one pitch at a time like Coach Brown says.” Chapin said. “I focus on what’s ahead of me and throwing the best pitch that I can at that moment is the only thing that I should do.”
After a midweek 14-1 loss on the road to UNC Greensboro, the Lancers look to rebound against Big South leading Winthrop on April 18 and 19. The Doubleheader with Winthrop will begin at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
“Every conference game from now on is going to [have] a lot of pressure but we just need to keep doing what we have been doing in these big moments,” said Chapin. “Bailey [Bucholz] was super clutch there in the end and we need to make sure that every person on this team is prepared to do that.” All three games will air on ESPN+.
“It’s fun to see them grow as players, as young women, and I’m very proud of their work,” Brown said.
