FARMVILLE, Va. – The Towson University softball team completed the Longwood Spring Classic on Sunday with a 6-2 victory over Lafayette in its opening game before a thrilling 1-0 win over Longwood in eight innings in the final game of the tournament.
Towson (7-5) started off quickly against Lafayette, pressuring the Leopards offensively while playing some excellent defense in the field. After Delanie Dunham drove in the game's first run when her base knock brought home Maureen Hepner in the top of the first, the Tigers got a few double plays to support the Tiger bats.
The first inning ended when Towson centerfielder Olivia Yarbrough caught a fly ball off the bat of Stephanie Shreiber and threw out Kristen Berger at plate as Berger was trying to score from third base.
The Tigers turned another double play to end the second inning when pitcher Missy McCormick snared Victoria Vergona's ground ball and fired it to Towson shortstop Hailey Balk for the force out at second base. Balk then threw out Vergona at first base to complete the turned double play and end the inning.
Towson had a penchant to find the extra base against Lafayette as five of the nine Tiger hits in the game were doubles.
Yarbrough finished three-for-four at the plate with two runs batted in and two runs scored, while freshman Jessica South finished two-for-three with two runs scored. Both players had two doubles for Towson.
McCormick pitched a complete game for Towson against Lafayette, picking up her third win of the season. She gave up just five hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out three.
Against Longwood, the Tigers got an excellent performance in the circle from sophomore Ambar Hickman, who earned her team-best fourth win of the year by throwing her first shutout of the season against the Lancers.
Hickman was brilliant, allowing just six hits in eight innings for Towson.
The game turned in the Tigers' favor in the late innings, as some excellent defensive awareness kept the game scoreless. After Megan Baltzell's walk opened the top of the eighth, putting runners on first and second due to international tie-breaking rules, the Lancers' Chelsea Sciacca hit into a fielder's choice. Carly Adams, placed on second as part of the tie-breaker, was out on the play, but Baltzell moved up to second base.
But on a double steal attempt, Baltzell was thrown out at home plate by Balk, who fired the ball into freshman catcher Holiday Cahill's mitt. Cahill's tag beat Baltzell, preventing a run. Hickman then struck out Taylor Hedrick to end the inning.
Balk wasn't finished, however, as her game-winning single in the bottom of the frame brought home pinch-runner Courtney Johnson who was on third base after a sacrifice bunt by Cahill.
The Tigers open their home schedule by hosting Rhode Island, Manhattan and Delaware State at the Tiger Classic starting on Friday at 10 a.m.
