Middle Tennessee Edges Liberty, 8-7
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty mounted a furious late rally, slicing an 8-1 sixth-inning deficit to one run before Middle Tennessee held on for an 8-7 win over the Lady Flames, Saturday at the National Training Center.
The Blue Raiders improve their record to 6-3, while the Lady Flames' record stands at 3-5 following their second setback of the day at the Dot Richardson Invitational.
Middle Tennessee sophomore Megan Chocallo (2-0) pitched five innings, yielding three runs, two earned on five hits. Senior Caitlin McClure gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits without recording an out. Junior Kelci Cheney earned the save with two innings of work, giving up one unearned run on four hits.
Liberty redshirt junior Chandler Ball (2-2) sustained the defeat after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits, with four strikeouts and three walks in six total innings pitched. Freshman Abby Tincher yielded three runs on two hits in one inning of work.
MTSU junior Carlie Jenkins went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored, while junior Cheyenne Willis contributed a double and four RBI.
For Liberty, freshman Madi Clarke batted 2-for-3 with one RBI, while classmate Alexia Taylor and senior Kelby Allen both had two hits. Allen, junior Mickey Loveridge and freshman Madison Kotchey all posted one double, with Kotchey driving in two runs.
The Lady Flames manufactured a run to take a 1-0 lead after one inning. Zavodny drew a leadoff walk and Robinson followed by singling to left. After a double steal, Loveridge laid a squeeze bunt, plating Zavodny with Liberty's first run. Taylor popped out for the third out.
The Blue Raiders loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fourth, on two base hits and a walk. Willis then tied the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly to left. Following a wild pitch, Ball struck out freshman Morgan Harris before getting junior Randi Cookus to ground out to second.
Middle Tennessee State added four runs to its lead during the fifth inning. With runners on first and third and nobody out, senior Alma Cortez scored on a catcher's throwing error. A single by junior Kiarra Freeman and a walk to senior Samantha Nieves loaded the bases, before Willis cleared the bases with a double for a 5-1 advantage. Harris flied out to right to end the threat.
MTSU scored three more times in the top of the sixth. Tincher relieved Ball in the circle. With two outs and two on, Jenkins sent a home run over the right field fence, extending the lead to 8-1.
The Lady Flames stormed back by scoring five times in the sixth. Allen reached on an error, and Loveridge followed with a double. McClure then entered the circle, and gave up an RBI single to Taylor and a two-run double by Zavodny. McCoy then came through with an RBI single, narrowing the gap to 8-5. Cheney then relieved McClure, and yielded an RBI single to Clarke. Senior Megan Robinson grounded out to third, ending the rally.
Allen hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning. Taylor hit a single with one out, and Allen scored on a throwing error. Cheney struck out Kotchey before getting junior Kassidy McCoy to ground out and end the game.
Liberty closes out the Dot Richardson Invitational tomorrow, taking on UMass Lowell in a game scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. at the National Training Center.
