FARMVILLE, Va. – Despite a pair of solo home runs from Amber Schisler, Campbell was unable to avoid the sweep from Longwood Saturday morning in game three of the season-opening Big South series.
Schisler and McCollum combined for three solo home runs and six hits and Chandler Patterson provided a RBI double, but the Lancers offense connected on 10 runs to get by the Camels on Saturday.
The Fighting Camels (11-15) started the scoring with their first batter of the game as Schisler hit a solo home run to right centerfield. Longwood (12-8) answered quickly as it scored two runs in the bottom of the inning on a pair of RBI singles from Emily Murphy and Kaylynn Batten.
After a scoreless second inning, Campbell regained the lead with back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the third inning. With two outs in the inning, Schisler returned to the plate and took a 2-1 pitch beyond the centerfield wall for her team-high 11th home run of the year. One batter and two pitches later, Rachel McCollum hit her seventh home run of the season over the left field wall, giving Campbell a 3-2 advantage.
Longwood quickly answered in the bottom of the third inning as Batten hit a 2-RBI single down the left field line, scoring Murphy and Carlyn Adams, to take a 4-3 lead. The Lancers had a pair of runners in scoring position, but relief pitcher Courtney Roberts was able to stop the offensive threat with three straight outs.
The offensive output continued from Campbell as they knotted the game at 4-4 in the top of fourth inning. Lizabeth McCurry was able to draw a walk in her at-bat and was replaced with Cierra Harris as a pinch runner. Karsen Leonhardt was successful with her sacrifice bunt, advancing Harris to second. Harris then advanced to third in the same sequence on a throwing error by the Lancers' second basemen. Patterson then doubled to left center field, plating Harris from third.
A pair of solo home runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning again gave Longwood the lead at 6-4. Campbell gained a pair of hits in the top of the fifth but was unable to trim the two run deficit. Another solo home run by Longwood added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the Lancers a 7-4 advantage.
One inning later, Campbell allowed baserunners to get to second and third with one out. Two batters later, Batten reached first on a throwing error, allowing Glenn Walters to score from third and increase the lead to 8-4. A RBI single from Kelsey Sweeney and a sacrifice fly from Krista Kelly increased the lead to 10-4 after six innings. The Camels were unable to get any closer in the top of the seventh, finishing with four runs on six hits, while allowing 10 runs on 13 hits.
Courtney Roberts took the loss, her third of the season, giving up four hits and four earned runs. Elizabeth McCarthy picked up the victory, her seventh of the season in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Campbell returns to action March 22 at 4:30 p.m. against Elon in a makeup contest from a rained out game earlier in the season.
