Lady Flames Fall to No. 23/23 South Alabama in Season Opener
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty opened its 2015 season on Friday, taking on No. 23/23 South Alabama to begin the Sand Dollar Classic at the Gulf Shores SportsPlex. The Jaguars posted an 8-0, five-inning victory over the Lady Flames.
South Alabama evened its season record at 1-1, after falling to No. 4 Alabama, 2-1, on Thursday night. The Lady Flames are now 0-1, and hold a 12-17-1 all-time record in season openers.
Jaguar freshman Devin Brown (1-0) pitched a one-hitter, striking out six batters and walking one.
Redshirt junior Chandler Ball (0-1) drew the loss for the Lady Flames, allowing eight runs on 10 hits, fanning six and walking seven.
USA senior Alyssa Linn went 3-for-3 with two runs, while junior Stephanie Pilkington and sophomore Chloe Rathburn both hit 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Senior Kelby Allen recorded a hit for Liberty, while junior Kassidy McCoy walked and freshman Alexia Taylor was hit by a pitch. Senior Jamie Crisp picked up an outfield assist,
The Jaguars struck first, thanks to good baserunning by junior Emily Messer in the bottom of the first. Messer drew a one-out walk, and made it to third with two stolen bases. Pilkington then made it 1-0 with an RBI groundout.
Ball worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the second, getting freshman Kaleigh Todd to ground out to end the threat and keep the score at 1-0 through two frames.
The Liberty right-hander kept South Alabama off the board during the third inning, fanning senior Kaitlyn Griffith with two out and two on base.
Allen broke up Brown's no-hit bid with a leadoff, fourth-inning single, before senior Megan Robinson hit into a double play and freshman Madison Kotchey grounded out to shortstop.
South Alabama added to its lead in the bottom half of the fourth. Messer drove in Lowe with a one-out, bases-loaded sacrifice fly. Pilkington followed with an RBI single, good for a 3-0 advantage. A two-run double by Rathburn made it 5-0, Jaguars.
The Lady Flames received two one-out baserunners in the fifth, as Taylor was hit by a pitch and McCoy walked. Brown got out of the jam unscathed with a pair of popouts.
The Jaguars put the game out of reach with a three-run fifth inning, as the game ended via run-rule following back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Pilkington and Rathburn.
The Lady Flames return to the diamond for a pair of games tomorrow at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. Liberty is scheduled to take on Lamar at 1 p.m. Eastern Time before facing Houston Baptist at 4 p.m. Eastern.
