FARMVILLE, Va. – The first day of Lafayette softball's fourth tournament in four weekends, the Longwood Spring Break Invitational, yielded split results. The Leopard offense exploded for a 16-6 final over Longwood in game one before being limited to three hits in a 3-1 loss to Le Moyne in game two.
In the opener, 12 hits led to the highest scoring output of the season. Ten players drove in at least one run while five plated two apiece.
Katie Harrington set the tone in the top of the first with an eight-pitch at bat that ended in a two-run home run. The Leopards loaded the bases with one out, prompting a pitching change. The next four batters all drew walks on just 18 pitches. Lafayette led 6-0.
In the second, the teams traded a pair of runs.
Regan Dillon and
Ava Butler both singled home baserunners, while the Lancers used a sac bunt and a sac fly to make it 8-4.
In the fourth, Longwood pitching continued to struggle, walking in two more Leopard runs. The Lancers added two runs on four hits off Lafayette starter
Parker Rowden, as Lafayette led 10-6.
The Maroon and White put away the game in the fifth inning with another six-run frame.
Kylee Sweet smoked a double to knock in two while Butler (sac fly) and
Caroline Hall (single) also plated runs.
Rowden collected her second win, allowing four earned runs on eight hits over 3.2 innings.
Jordan Goedel tossed the final 1.1 innings and did not surrender a hit. Mallory Sanders (6 R, 4 H, 4 BB) took the loss. Longwood issued 14 free passes on the afternoon.
In the nightcap, Le Moyne starting pitcher Isabella Kwashek limited Lafayette to one run on three hits.
Lafayette surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning with the big hit an Ava Todd triple. The Dolphins tacked on an insurance run in the fourth via an infield single.
The Leopards scored their only run in the sixth inning. Hall's double preceded a Harrington RBI-single to make it a 3-1 final.
Leopard rookie
Andy Hegarty took the loss, despite giving up only one earned run on five hits. She walked three and struck out three.
Lafayette will close out the weekend with 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. games vs. Le Moyne and Longwood, respectively, on Sunday.
