Toledo Tops Liberty, 4-1
3/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Toledo posted a 4-1 win over the Liberty Lady Flames on Saturday at Liberty Softball Stadium, in both teams' last game in the Liberty Softball Classic.
The Rockets improve to 12-16 after going 2-2 at this weekend's invitational. The Lady Flames (12-14) posted a 3-2 record during their first weekend of games at their new stadium.
Liberty outhit Toledo, 10-8, but the Lady Flames left 10 runners on base, compared to seven for the Rockets.
Toledo sophomore Celeste Fidge went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI, while junior Jessica Lemieux batted 2-for-3 with a double, two stolen bases and two runs scored.
Freshman Alexia Taylor and junior Mickey Loveridge both went 2-for-4 for the Lady Flames, with Loveridge registering her second double of the season. Megan Robinson went 1-for-3 with a double, boosting her hitting streak to a career-best 10 games.
Rockets junior Marla Gooding evened her season record to 7-7, giving up one run on 10 hits while striking out two and walking two.
Liberty redshirt sophomore Kenzie Friesen (3-5) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings pitched with four strikeouts and one walk. Freshman Abby Tincher pitched two hitless innings of relief with two strikeouts and one walk.
The Rockets struck first, posting two runs on four straight hits with one out in the top of the first. Lemieux hit an RBI double, and Fidge then plated Lemieux with a single to left.
With Toledo runners on first and second and one out, freshman Tori Zavodny made a sliding catch on a Nichole Toven fly ball, helping short-circuit the Rockets' second-inning scoring threat.
A single by Taylor and walk to freshman Madison Kotchey gave Liberty two runners in the second. A pair of groundouts ended the rally.
Toledo stranded a runner at second to conclude its third time at bat when Friesen struck out Alissa Turkovich.
Cassie Gingerich and Zavodny reached on back-to-back bunt base hits in the bottom of the third. Robinson sent each runner ahead 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Kelby Allen popped out, and Taylor grounded out, and the score remained 2-0.
Loveridge led off the last half of the fourth with a single up the middle. Loveridge was caught stealing after a Kotchey strikeout. Madi Clarke then laced a two-out single to left before Gooding struck out Katie Han.
The Rockets doubled their lead in the top of the fifth, as Lemieux singled to left and Fidge sent a high drive over the fence in left center. Two groundouts ensued, leaving the score at 4-0, Toledo.
Gingerich drew a leadoff walk during the fifth stanza. A two-out single by Allen put runners on the corners, and Taylor flied out to center for the third out.
Turkovich doubled down the right field line to start the sixth. Tincher then came on in relief of Friesen and retired the next three hitters in succession.
Loveridge ripped a triple to left center as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth frame. Kotchey then plated Loveridge with a single up the middle. Kassidy McCoy drove one deep to left, which Rausch snared on the run just in front of the wall. Blair Lawrence grounded to the pitcher, ending the rally.
Tincher held the Rockets at bay during the sixth stanza. Lemieux walked and stole second, before taking third on a Fidge groundout. Chandler Rice popped out, bringing Liberty to bat for the final time.
Robinson hit a one-out double down the left field line during the seventh inning. A Taylor single brought the tying run to the plate with two outs, and Gooding got Loveridge to foul out and clinch the win for Toledo.
Liberty returns to the road, as the Lady Flames will travel to play a doubleheader at Hampton on Tuesday, with first pitch set for 3 p.m.
