#3 Longwood Defeats #1 Liberty, Advances to Title Game
Longwood softball is headed to the Big South Championship once again.
Keyed by a four-run sixth inning that included a go-ahead two-run double by cleanup hitter
Karleigh Donovan, the third-seeded Lancers (27-26) upset top-seeded and reigning Big South regular season champion Liberty 7-4 in the conference semifinals to punch their ticket to a third straight Big South Championship game, which takes place Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at Lancer Field.
Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, the host Lancers banged out three hits in the top of the sixth to overcome a 4-3 deficit and take over the driver's seat in the six-team, double-elimination conference tournament. The victory puts the Lancers within one win of clinching their third straight Big South Championship and fourth in their five years as a member of the conference.
Kaylynn Batten delivered a pair of clutch hits for Longwood, first hitting a go-ahead RBI double in the first inning and then tying the game with an RBI single in the top of the sixth. She finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs, upping her tournament average to .500 (5-for-10) with four RBI in her three games.
Liberty (36-21) got a 4-for-4, two-homer game from Big South Freshman of the Year Amber Bishop but could not keep up with a Longwood lineup that bashed eight hits, drew five walks and put three runners on base after being hit by pitch. Longwood knocked Big South Pitcher of the Year Julia DiMartino after the game before the end of the third inning and then plated five runs against Liberty reliever Kenzie Friesen (11-3).
Sydney Gay (14-13) picked up the win for Longwood after firing 2.2 shutuout innings in relief of Longwood ace
Elizabeth McCarthy.
Longwood will face the winner of Liberty and No. 5 Winthrop in Saturday's 7 p.m. Big South Championship game at Lancer Field.