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FARMVILLE – In front of a full-capacity crowd at Lancer Field, the Longwood softball team welcomed fellow Commonwealth opponent Virginia Tuesday for the team’s final non-conference bout of the regular season. The Lancers fell 3-0 thanks to an excellent effort by UVA’s defense and pitching staff.

Maggie Chapin got the start in the circle for Longwood (27-18, 13-4), tossing 4.2 innings with three strikeouts before Er’ron Burton finished the game in relief. Big runs by Virginia (30-21, 8-16) in the first and sixth innings helped pave the way for their second victory over the Lancers this season.

“This time of year, every pitch and every play matters that much more,” said head coach Dr. Megan Brown. “We have to stay present in the moment and fight to win each pitch.”

Breaking down the game

The Cavaliers got on the board in the first inning thanks to Jade Hylton’s dash home off of a Longwood fielding error. Virginia tagged another run across the plate that same inning due to Kelly Ayer scoring on a wild pitch.

Virginia added an insurance run in the sixth inning, turning a Lancers error into another run across the plate.

The Lancers were narrowly out-hit by the Cavaliers 8-7 in tonight’s contest, with Jaden Pone, Korynna Anderson, Kayley DeVivi, Lindsey Hay, and Emily Vinson providing the offense for Longwood. Both Pone and DeVivi had multi-hit outings, with both of DeVivi’s hits being doubles.

Although the hitting numbers were comparable, an impressive showing from UVA’s defensive unit helped leave six runners on base for the Lancers and led the Cavaliers to the victory.

Longwood softball hosts ‘Kids Night’

Longwood softball hosted a ‘Kids Night’ for tonight’s game, with food trucks, raffles, and custom Lancers trading cards available to patrons at Lancer Field. With a near capacity crowd, the event was a success, and coach Dr. Brown is thankful for all the fans support.

“An immense thank you to all the fans and parents who brought their kids,” said Dr. Brown. “It means the world to me, our team, and our program.”

The Lancers will welcome the Campbell Fighting Camels to Farmville this weekend for a Big South regular season-deciding series. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Farmville this Saturday.

“Our game is a great teacher, it gives you a lot of lessons along the way,” said Dr. Brown. “We’ve done the curriculum, we’ve gone to class, we’ve studied well, and now it’s time for the final exam.”