Hatters Squeak By Liberty in Extra Innings

The second game of a non-conference doubleheader between Liberty and Stetson remained as close as the first, needing extra innings to decide an outcome where the Hatters used a walk in the eighth to force a split on the evening with a 4-3 victory at Patricia Wilson Field.

The Hatters struck first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring a run to take an early 1-0 lead. Amy Joyce led off with a walk from

Liberty starter Tiffani Smith, followed quickly by the center fielder advancing to second on a stolen base. She advanced to third when

Chelsey Trotto bunted a single just in front of the pitcher's circle, and scored the first run of the game when designated player Katie
Lawrence hit a long sacrifice fly to center field.

Smith found herself in another jam in the bottom of the third, when Joyce led off with an infield single, stole second, and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Andrea Migliori. After Carolyn Boyd fouled out to third base, Trotto struck out swinging to end the inning.

Liberty struggled at the plate to open the game, as Stetson pitcher Amanda Lindsey struck out 11 of the first 13 batters she faced.

But the Lady Flames stopped that streak in the top of the fifth. Kaylee West recorded Liberty's first hit of the game with a leadoff single to left field, and pinch runner Jennifer Pittman moved to second base on a wild pitch by Lindsey. Senior Beth Bennett followed by busted a single deep to center field, and advanced to second on the throw, as Pittman scored to tie the game, 1-1.

The Hatters answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth, as Migliori blasted a two-run homer deep over the center field fence with two outs, tying it up at 3-3.

With neither team able to score another run during the final two innings of regulation, the game entered extra innings just under two hours after it began, and the international tie rule came into effect.

The Lady Flames went up to bat with Cassie Hendrix placed on second base. Amber DePasquale was thrown out at first on a sacrifice bunt, moving Hendrix to third. But that's where she stayed, as both Jenny Law and J'nae Jefferson kept the ball inside the infield by grounding out.

The Hatters had their shot next, placing Joyce on second. The Lady Flames chose to intentionally walk Migliori, and Stetson put pinch runner Brittany Knipp in her place at first.

Both runners advanced when Carolyn Boyd grounded out to first base, and Smith intentionally walked Trotto to load the bases. After Lawrence fouled out to right field, Lindsey walked in the winning run to end the game.

Lindsey (4-6) picked up the win, scattering just two hits and striking out 14 batters in the complete-game effort. Smith also went the distance and fell to 3-5 on the season, as she gave up four runs on three hits and struck out seven batters.

With the game two victory, the Hatters improved to 8-12 on the season, while the evening doubleheader split leaves Liberty at 5-12 in 2009.

The Lady Flames will have a day off before continuing their nine-day Florida road trip with a weekend stay at Boca Raton, Fla. Liberty will face Florida Atlantic on Thursday evening for a single game against the Owls, starting at 6 p.m., before Liberty opens play in the FAU Parents' Weekend Invitational on Friday.

Schedule

Hatters Squeak By Liberty in Extra Innings

Next Event

Team Stats

Kaylee West

Beth Bennett

Jenny Law

J'nae Jefferson