BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech softball team salvaged a split with Longwood University Tuesday at Tech Softball Park as the Lancers took game one, 5-3, but the Hokies used a grand slam from Kim Jalm in the second game to win 4-3.

After a first game in which not much went right for Tech, the second game didn’t start off much better than the first one did for the Hokies fell behind 2-0 early on. But in the fourth inning, senior Kim Jalm came up huge for the Tech. Beth Walker singled and moved to second base on Whitney Davis’ walk. An infield single by Kristen Froehlich loaded the bases for the senior from Jupiter, Fla. Jalm ripped an opposite-field grand slam off the scoreboard in right field for her first home run as a Hokie.

Longwood scored an unearned run in the fifth to make it a one-run game, but reliever Kenzie Roark shut the door the rest of the way as the Hokies snapped a four-game losing streak.

Erin Ota and Jessica Everhart led the way with a pair of hits each. Jalm (four RBI and a walk), Beth Walker, Froehlich and Jenna Rhodes each picked up a hit.

Abbie Rexrode went 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts in picking up a no-decision. Roark went the final 4.2 innings to pick up the win and move to 15-14 on the season. She allowed one unearned run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts and a walk.

In the first game, Tech collected eight hits, but stranded eight runners and committed several costly errors in falling 5-3. Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, Erin Ota was hit with the bases loaded to tie it up and Charisse Mariconda drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-1. The Lancers tied it up in the fourth, but Tech took the lead back when Rhodes scored in the bottom of the fourth on a throwing error. But in the sixth inning, Longwood scored two runs and then in the seventh the Hokies committed two errors to let another run in.

Rhodes led the way with three hits. Davis had two hits while Mariconda, Beth Walker, Froehlich and Amber Walker each had one hit.

Roark picked up the loss, going 7.0 innings. She allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

Tech will play Thursday at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. The doubleheader will start at 2 o’clock.