Georgetown downs Longwood with 8th inning RBI single

Kristi Preuss (LaPlata, Md./LaPlata) rocketed a single back up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Georgetown University softball team a 3-2 win over the visiting Longwood Lancers on Thursday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Guy Mason Field.

Longwood earned the split by taking game two by a score of 8-2. 

The base knock by one of Georgetown's three seniors snapped Longwood's six-game winning streak, gave the Hoyas their first win in the last six games and sent GU home victorious in its first extra-innings game of the season. 

Georgetown (10-32, 3-5 BE) opened up the scoring on a two-out rally in the bottom of the third inning when the squad pushed across a couple of runs in support of junior hurler Mackensey Carter (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo).

Callie Eward (Oak Hill, Va./Oakton) utilized her speed to beat out an infield single and then promptly stole second base to put herself in scoring position for sophomore Shikara Lowe (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit). Lowe made sure that Eward could coast home, launching a double to deep center field to put the Blue & Gray up 1-0.

Lowe crossed home plate when the shortstop made an error on a shot off the bat of freshman Jenna Stark as Georgetown extended its lead to 2-0. 

Longwood got on the board in the fifth inning and could have scored more if not for a heads up defensive play by the Hoya battery of Carter and senior Jillian Webb (Hemet, Calif./Hemet). Nichole Simmons singled to left field to lead off the inning, stole second base and scored on a on a double by Maggie Margadonna. Leta Bressin pinch ran for Margadonna and advanced to third when Brooke Short flied out to left field.

With one out, Jordan Cox hit the ball back to Carter in the circle for what would seem to be a routine play. However, the right-hander saw Bressin breaking for home from third base, tossed the ball to Webb who sealed off the plate and tagged out Bressin for the second out to preserve the Hoyas' 2-1 lead. 

The Lancers tied the game in the top of the seventh to force extra innings, but Preuss made sure that the Hoya faithful in attendance would not be disappointed with her late-inning heroics. With one out junior Cara Savarese (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) walked to spark the game-winning rally.

Sophomore Jordan Hansen (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) singled to left center and both runners moved up on base when Rachel Nersesian (San Leandro, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd) advanced them on a groundout to the first baseman. With runners on second and third and one out, Preuss tagged the Briana Wells offering back up the middle to score Savarese and give the Hoyas the win. 

It was the second walk-off hit of Preuss' career, as she doubled home the game-winning run in the eighth inning of a game against Connecticut on April 19, 2009 to give Georgetown a 1-0 victory. 

Carter pitched all eight innings, allowing only the two earned runs and striking out four to earn her eighth victory of the season. The Hoyas also benefitted from two-hit efforts by Eward (2-for-4), Lowe (2-for-4) and Savarese (2-for-3) as they scattered 10 hits against Wells.

It was only the fourth game that Longwood has allowed double digits in hits all season and coupled with the Hoyas' six hits in game two, the 16 base knocks were the most the Lancers have allowed in back-to-back games all season. 

Despite GU's six hits in game two, the team was only able to score a pair of runs, eventually falling by a score of 8-2. Jenna Stark was 2-for-4 in the nightcap and had hits in both games to extend her career-high hitting streak to eight games and up her team-leading average to .324. Savarese was 3-for-5 on the afternoon to raise her average to .312. 

The Hoyas will continue their nine-game homestand when they welcome St. John's to northwest Washington D.C. for a three-game series this weekend. First pitch in a Saturday doubleheader is scheduled for noon.