FARMVILLE, VA.- Jordan Ashley belted her first home run of the year in extra innings to help PC get the 10-9 comeback win over Longwood in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Lancers scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning and held PC to just five hits to take the second game of the series to win, 8-2.
PC moves to 15-12 overall and 5-2 in the Big South, while Longwood is now at 11-18 and 5-3 in conference play. The teams will meet tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the final game of the conference series.
Longwood scored three runs on a home run by Chelsea Sciacca in the bottom of the first inning to get out to an early lead. Justina Augustine hit a solo home run for the Lancers in the third and Kelsey Sweeney hit an RBI single to score Megan Baltzell and give the hosts a 5-run lead.
PC got the bats going the next inning when Jenna Harris doubled down the right field line and scored PC's first run when Shelby Petik hit an RBI single to center field the next at-bat. The Blue Hose kept it going when Erin Ruff singled to center field and Kersten Legacki scored Petik on her own single to center field. Hope Rogers reached first on a fielder's choice and Erin Taylor hit an RBI single to score Ruff to put PC right back in it, 5-3.
Baltzell homered to left center for the Lancers in the bottom of the fifth to give the hosts a 3-run lead.
In the top of the sixth, Ruff singled to left field and then Legacki belted her sixth home run of the year to cut it to 6-5.
With two outs in the seventh inning, Rogers tied it 6-6 when she hit an RBI single to score Courtney Lawton who was pinch running for Petik after she was walked. Taylor smacked a 3-run home run to center field to score Rogers and Ruff, who reached on fielder's choice, and put the Blue Hose on top 9-6.
Baltzell hit her second home run of the game to score two others and tie it up 9-9 and send the game into extra innings.
Ashley had the game-winner in the eighth inning when she homered to center field and the Blue Hose defense held the Lancers in the bottom of the inning to earn the 1-run win.
Kensley Loudermelk got the save for PC when she came in during the top of the seventh inning, striking out two. Sydney Seigler and Katie Brown also pitched for the Blue Hose.
PC had 14 hits in game one, while Longwood had nine. Taylor collected four hits in her four at-bats in the first game, while Legacki had three. Petik, Rogers, and Ashley each collected one hit apiece.
In game two, Longwood got out to a 6-run lead after scoring one in the first inning and five runs in the second inning.
In the top of the third, Harris doubled to left center to score Ashley and put the Blue Hose on the scoreboard.
The Lancers scored two more runs in the sixth when Baltzell cracked another homer to center field to make it 8-1.
In the seventh, Abby Allen hit a single to left field to score Rogers, who got on base after a walk. That would be it for the Blue Hose, though, as the Lancers took game two of the series.
Loudermelk and Natasha Sherrod split time on the mound for the Blue Hose. Loudermelk took the loss, as she struck out six in her three innings of action.
Longwood had seven hits in the second game, while PC had five. Rogers led PC with two hits, while Allen, Ruff, and Harris each had one.
