LU to Host Big South Frontrunner Radford
4/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
After a week of non-conference play, the Lady Flames will resume Big South action when they host the Highlanders of Radford for a doubleheader on Wednesday, starting at 3 p.m. The games, originally scheduled for Tuesday, were moved due to poor field conditions caused by heavy rain in Lynchburg on Monday. The date and time for the single-game series finale is yet to be determined.
Radford (28-12, 10-2 Big South) currently sits atop the Big South standings after taking two of three games from Winthrop over the weekend. The Highlanders' only other conference loss came from Presbyterian, 4-3, on April 5 in Clinton, S.C.
Leigh Godfrey is batting .446 to lead the Highlanders, and the freshman has recorded 54 hits and 16 RBIs this season. Nichole Beall is batting .376 with 44 hits and 37 RBIs on the year.
Pitcher Kellie Snooks is 11-5 this season, posting a 2.80 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 102.1 innings pitched, while Chelsea Kelley (13-6) has thrown 126.1 innings with a 2.99 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
Radford earned a conference honor this week, as Michelle Beall was named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week.
In 2009, the Highlanders have posted wins over Virginia Tech, Harvard and Oregon State.
The Lady Flames (16-28, 4-5 Big South) enter the series after splitting a doubleheader with Longwood on Saturday in Farmville, Va.
Beth Bennett leads Liberty, batting .288 overall and .391 in conference play. The senior infielder also leads the team in hits (34), RBIs (20), doubles (9) and home runs (7).
Sophomore Amber DePasquale led the team offensively last week, batting .600 with six hits over 10 at-bats.
Liberty hurler Tiffani Smith is 7-10 on the year with a 2.09 ERA, a conference best, tossing 113 strikeouts in 127.1 innings pitched, while senior Sarah Ellis is 9-18 with a 2.73 ERA, and has tallied 108 strikeouts in 154 innings of work.
The Lady Flames are 21-31 all-time against the Highlanders, and the two squads last met in the 2008 Big South Championship semifinal, when Liberty came out on top, 2-0.
During the 2008 regular season, the Highlanders won all three games of the series, 4-1, 3-2 and 8-6, on April 19 and 20.
Notes from the Backstop
Home Field Advantage
The Lady Flames are perfect at home in conference play in 2009 after sweeping the Lady Bucs of Charleston Southern in three straight games on April 4 and 5. Liberty is 6-3 overall at home this season.
Hot in the Batter's Box
Five Liberty starters are batting over .300 in conference play, and the team has recorded five or more hits in 10 of the last 11 games, with 11 hits alone in Saturday's 2-1 win over Longwood. The Lady Flames have also gotten extra-base hits in 14 of the last 16 contests, and the team batting average has improved 20 points over the last month (.207 to .227).
Series with Radford
The last time the Lady Flames defeated the Highlanders at Liberty Softball Field was on April 20, 2007, when Liberty took a 1-0 victory in the first game of a three-game series.
Radford (28-12, 10-2 Big South) currently sits atop the Big South standings after taking two of three games from Winthrop over the weekend. The Highlanders' only other conference loss came from Presbyterian, 4-3, on April 5 in Clinton, S.C.
Leigh Godfrey is batting .446 to lead the Highlanders, and the freshman has recorded 54 hits and 16 RBIs this season. Nichole Beall is batting .376 with 44 hits and 37 RBIs on the year.
Pitcher Kellie Snooks is 11-5 this season, posting a 2.80 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 102.1 innings pitched, while Chelsea Kelley (13-6) has thrown 126.1 innings with a 2.99 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
Radford earned a conference honor this week, as Michelle Beall was named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week.
In 2009, the Highlanders have posted wins over Virginia Tech, Harvard and Oregon State.
The Lady Flames (16-28, 4-5 Big South) enter the series after splitting a doubleheader with Longwood on Saturday in Farmville, Va.
Beth Bennett leads Liberty, batting .288 overall and .391 in conference play. The senior infielder also leads the team in hits (34), RBIs (20), doubles (9) and home runs (7).
Sophomore Amber DePasquale led the team offensively last week, batting .600 with six hits over 10 at-bats.
Liberty hurler Tiffani Smith is 7-10 on the year with a 2.09 ERA, a conference best, tossing 113 strikeouts in 127.1 innings pitched, while senior Sarah Ellis is 9-18 with a 2.73 ERA, and has tallied 108 strikeouts in 154 innings of work.
The Lady Flames are 21-31 all-time against the Highlanders, and the two squads last met in the 2008 Big South Championship semifinal, when Liberty came out on top, 2-0.
During the 2008 regular season, the Highlanders won all three games of the series, 4-1, 3-2 and 8-6, on April 19 and 20.
Notes from the Backstop
Home Field Advantage
The Lady Flames are perfect at home in conference play in 2009 after sweeping the Lady Bucs of Charleston Southern in three straight games on April 4 and 5. Liberty is 6-3 overall at home this season.
Hot in the Batter's Box
Five Liberty starters are batting over .300 in conference play, and the team has recorded five or more hits in 10 of the last 11 games, with 11 hits alone in Saturday's 2-1 win over Longwood. The Lady Flames have also gotten extra-base hits in 14 of the last 16 contests, and the team batting average has improved 20 points over the last month (.207 to .227).
Series with Radford
The last time the Lady Flames defeated the Highlanders at Liberty Softball Field was on April 20, 2007, when Liberty took a 1-0 victory in the first game of a three-game series.
Wednesday, May 06
Tuesday, May 05
Monday, May 04
Wednesday, April 29