Longwood scored in each of the first four innings to take the 8-2 win over the Presbyterian College softball team in the Blue Hose home finale in Clinton, S.C. The Lancers earned the series sweep after winning two on Saturday. Erin Ruff paced the Blue Hose on offense, going two for three with one run scored.
The Blue Hose, who drop to 22-25 overall and 8-13 in the league, take some time off for exams and return to action at Charleston Southern, May 7-8, with the two teams playing in a 2 p.m., doubleheader that Saturday before rounding out the three game series Sunday at 1 p.m. Longwood improves to 29-15, 15-3.
Longwood got on the board in the first inning off a sacrifice fly from Emily Murphy, which brought home Jamie Barbour who opened with a lead-off single. A Karleigh Donovan home run, her fifth of the season, took the Lancers up 2-0 in the top of the second.
A RBI single from Kaylynn Batten RBI single added a Lancer run in the top of the third. She scored Murphy, who had reached on a fielder's choice.
Longwood continued its streak with another run in the fourth, this one off a RBI single from Barbour to score Kelsey Sweeney who had a single up the middle with two outs on the board. Barbour scored herself, along with Justina Augistine, the next batter when Carly Adams laced a double to left to make it 6-0.
Ruff opened the bottom of the fourth with a single, followed by a walk from Megan Anderson. PC capitalized a couple of batters later, scoring two runs of a Longwood error, to cut the margin to 6-4. Kelsie Sanchez picked up two RBI off the play.
Longwood went up by six again in the top of the seventh, opening the inning with back to back singles. The Lancers drew three straight walks afterwards to load the bases and plate two more runs.
PC drew a walk in the seventh but that was it as Longwood came away with the 8-2 win.
Elizabeth McCarthy was dominant in the circle for Longwood, allowing just two hits, both from Ruff, and retiring the side in order in four innings. She struck out five to move to 16-8 on the season. Katie Brown threw 3.2 innings as the PC starter, picking up the loss (10-12) after allowing three earned runs and five hits.
Longwood recorded 12 hits, with Barbour and Adams each coming away with three apiece. Adams finished with two RBI. The Lancers had two errors in the game.
