Collegiate Times

With the wind steadily blowing at 16 miles per hour, Virginia Tech began a doubleheader against the Longwood Lancers Tuesday night.

Both games were filled with errors for Tech as Longwood claimed the first game and the Hokies snatched a win in the second.

"I thought we were awful," said softball head coach Scot Thomas. "I thought that was about as bad as we've played all year."

"I thought we played with a lack of purpose," he said. "We found every way to make a bad play that you can make, there's no other way to describe it. There's no other way to describe it. That was embarrassing. Even in the win the only thing that was positive was Kim's homerun and Kenzie threw pretty well when she came in."

During the first game, Longwood struck first in the top of the second as pitcher Briana Wells hit a soft pop up to left field. The hit drove in second baseman Maggie Margadonna all the way from first base. It was Wells' first double of the year.

The Hokies retaliated by loading the bases with two down in the bottom of the second. Tech tied the game at 1-1 after senior Erin Ota was hit by a pitch. They went on to take the lead as Wells walked the very next batter, senior third baseman Charisse Mariconda.

The Lancers would come back to tie it in the top of the forth inning as Courtney Long squeezed by catcher Amber Walker to just graze home plate. Tech again responded with a quick run in the bottom of the inning.

The scored continued to teeter-totter as the Lancers scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Longwood added an insurance run in the top of the seventh after Kristen Froehlich's seventh error on the season. The three runs by Longwood proved to be more than Virginia Tech could handle as they went on to take the first game 5-3 over the Hokies.

Senior center fielder Jenna Rhodes finished 3-for-3, while sophomore pitcher Kenzie Roark took her fourteenth loss of the season. Tech finished with three errors and Longwood had one by the end of the first game.

Freshman Abbie Rexrode, who began the game with a 4-7 record and a 4.96 ERA, opened game two by striking out a pair of hitters in the first inning. 

In the top of the second, Tech's troubles continued as Rexrode allowed a pitch to be sent soaring over the fence by Lancer catcher Emily Radford. The solo homer put Longwood on top by one.

The Hokies continued to struggle again in the nightcap as Rexrode committed an error by overthrowing a toss to first on a bunt by the Lancer's Courtney Long, allowing her to advance to second base.

Following the error, Rexrode was replaced as Roark entered the game in relief.

Everything turned around for the Hokies in the bottom of the fourth as Tech's designated player, senior Kim Jalm, hit her first home run of the year - which turned out to be a grand slam. Her round-tripper pushed the Hokies on top, 4-2.

In the top of the fifth, Longwood answered as Camille Ketsdever hit a triple to center and advanced home on an error by the second baseman, Kristen Froehlich.

"I've been struggling lately," Jalm said. "But it felt really good to finally hit one solid. I felt like my swing was pretty good today, it felt pretty good."

Despite the error in the fifth, the Hokies were able to hold on to their lead as the went on the beat the Lancers, 4-3.