FARMVILLE, Va. - The Tigers earned a split of their season-opening doubleheader at Longwood (4-4) on Thursday afternoon. The Tigers (1-1) earned a 6-5 win in eight innings in the first game and then fell 3-2 in the nightcap.

"I thought we struggled at times with the hitting and fielding today," said Coach Lisa Costello. "I thought Courtney Wittner came up with a big hit when we needed it and it was great to get a win to start but we need to keep working."

The Tigers struck first in game one as Kim Lempa worked a lead-off walk to start the game. She would score with two outs as Mindy Bean reached on an error. Bean came around to cross the plate on Stef Streets' single to center later in the frame. Longwood would tie the game in the bottom of the first as the Lancers got a pair of RBI singles from Ashley Kramer and Brooke Short.

Towson would take the lead back in the top of the third as the Tigers loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a single. Wittner would then clear the bases with her RBI double to right field. The Lancers would tie the game with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.

After neither team could score in the sixth nor seventh, the game headed to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Joyce Delp was placed on second base to start the inning as part of the international tiebreaker rule. Brianna Jones went into the game to run and moved to third on Erika Stasch's groundout. After the Lancers got the second out of the inning, Dominique Ortega pinch-hit and reached on an error allowing Jones to score the go-ahead run.

Shannon Johnston earned the win for the Tigers as she pitched the complete game. Johnston had five strikeouts and allowed four earned runs. Brittany Spencer took the loss after allowing one unearned run in three relief innings.

In game two it was the Tigers once again striking early as Lempa led off with a walk. She would move to second on a ground-out and stole third. The throw from the catcher got away and Lempa was able to come home on the error.

The Tigers would add to their lead in the third as Sammi DiPompo came through with a two-out single. Bean followed with a base hit and a throwing error on the play allowed DiPompo to score.

Longwood got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third. Kami Nuckols reached on an error to open the frame and later scored on a throwing error by the Tigers.

The Lancers took the lead in the game in the fifth as Longwood got back-to-back one out singles. After the Tigers got the second out of the inning Amy Betterton singled up the middle allowing both runs to score.

Short earned the win in the circle for the Lancers. She allowed just two unearned runs in seven innings of work with four strikeouts. Ortega took the loss for the Tigers as she allowed three runs, two earned in six innings of work.

Bean was the only Tiger with multiple hits on the day as she went 2-for-2 at the plate in the second game. Wittner finished with the three RBIs in the first game.

Towson returns to action on Friday, February 26 as day one of the Pirate Classic hosted by East Carolina gets underway. The Tigers will face Morehead State at 11:00 a.m.

-- TIGERS --