The softball season has officially begun for the Longwood Lancers. Recently, the team played in the Pirate Classic, a tournament hosted by East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina from Feb. 6-8.
The team played five games in the tournament where they posted a 2-3 record. Along with Longwood and hosting team ECU, three other teams participated in the Pirate Classic: Delaware State University, the University of Oakland and the University of South Carolina.
Longwood started on a high note in the tournament as they recorded a 9-0 victory over Delaware State University (0-5) early on Friday, before playing the University of South Carolina (4-1) and dropping their first game of the season 3-1.
Senior catcher/first baseman Megan Baltzell took no time to begin, what many have predicted to be a dominating season, as she went 3-for-5 (.600) with four runs, four RBI, two walks and two home runs (her only two of the tournament) on Friday. Baltzell’s magic number to become Longwood’s all-time leader for most home runs in a career is now at five.
While her defensive counterpart, Big South Player of the Week, sophomore pitcher Elizabeth McCarthy was stuck with her first loss of the season against the University of South Carolina as she posted a 3.50 ERA, allowed four hits, with a home run, five walks and seven strikeouts.
"In our first game, we had an all-around team effort,” Head Coach Kathy Riley told Longwood’s official athletic website. “The biggest difference (between the games) was that we walked five of their girls.”
On day two of the tournament the Lancers, once again, split a pair of games, winning their first game of the day against the University of Oakland (2-3) 5-0, then losing a close one against the eventual tournament champion ECU (5-1) 4-3.
After a forgetful game against South Carolina, McCarthy recorded her first win of the season on four innings pitched, five hits allowed, no walks, no earned runs and, for a second game in a row, seven strikeouts. Hours later, McCarthy pitched in her third game of the tournament as the Pirates gave her another loss in the season. In 4.1 innings, McCarthy allowed two hits, one walk with an unearned run and five strikeouts.
"When we give up no runs in seven innings it epitomizes what we want out of our team defense,” Riley told Longwood’s official athletic website. “We had solid performances on the mound and in the field.”
In Longwood’s final day at the tournament they lost 10-0 to the University of South Carolina. Three Longwood pitchers appeared in this game and combined four innings pitched (game called due to NCAA slaughter rule) with sophomore pitcher Jenna Carnes taking the loss.
Although the Lancers fell in the tournament, both Baltzell and McCarthy were selected to the All-Tournament team.
The selection came after Baltzell went 6-for-11 (.545), scoring six runs, drawing four walks, plating five RBI, striking out once and knocking two out of the park. McCarthy posted a 2.57 ERA with a 1-2 record on 16.1 innings pitched and six earned runs; she also allowed 16 hits, one home run, two doubles, a triple and she walked eight batters.
Longwood goes on a two week break, before traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament hosted by the University of Hawaii on Feb. 27.
