Hampton Posts 2-1 Win Over Liberty
3/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Hampton scored twice in the bottom of the fifth during the second game of a twin bill on Tuesday, edging the visiting Liberty Lady Flames, 2-1.
The Lady Pirates (6-16) snapped a four-game losing streak, earning a split of Tuesday's doubleheader after Liberty won game one, 6-2. The Lady Flames have reached the midpoint of the regular season with a 13-15 record.
Liberty outhit Hampton, 9-3, but the Lady Flames left 10 runners on base, compared to six for the Lady Pirates.
Freshman Allyson Babinsack (4-6) pitched a complete game for Hampton, yielding one run on nine hits while striking out eight batters and walking one.
Liberty's Kenzie Friesen (3-6) drew the loss, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four innings pitched. Freshman Abby Tincher issued three walks in 2/3 of an inning of relief work. Redshirt junior Chandler Ball pitched a hitless last 1 1/3 innings.
Three Lady Pirates singles on the afternoon, with freshmen Lorena Alvarez and Babinsack both recording one RBI.
Senior Megan Robinson went 3-for-4 with a stolen base for Liberty, extending her hitting streak to 12 games with her fifth career three-hit game. Senior Kelby Allen went 1-for-3 with an RBI, while freshman Tori Zavodny singled and stole her 15th base on the season.
Freshman Jessica Cicerchia and junior Katie Han hit back-to-back singles with one out in the top of the second for the Lady Flames, before Babinsack got freshman Cassie Gingerich and junior Blair Lawrence to fly out.
Hampton got a one-out baserunner of its own during the second when freshman Jada Fields singled. Friesen then struck out sophomore Danielle Budden, before senior Kerissa Burruel lined out to a diving Robinson at second.
Freshman Madi Clarke led off the fourth by dropping a single into right field. Babinsack then walked Cicerchia. After a wild pitch moved runners to second and third, Babinsack escaped the jam unscathed, with two strikeouts and a groundout.
The Lady Flames broke through during the fifth stanza. Zavodny led off with a single and stole second. A Robinson groundout sent Zavodny to third, and Allen executed a squeeze bunt, making it 1-0, Lady Flames.
The first two Lady Pirates reached base via walk during the fifth inning. Tincher then came on in relief of Friesen. Sophomore Taylor Clark's sacrifice sent runners to second and third with one out. After a walk to senior Margaret Wilkins, Alvarez hit into a fielder's choice, tying the game at 1-1. Tincher walked the next two batters, forcing in the go-ahead run. Ball entered the circle, striking out junior Taylor McCoy to get out of the inning.
Freshman Madison Kotchey reached on an error with one out in the top of the sixth. Lawrence hit a two-out infield single, and Zavodny then grounded to the pitcher, sending the game to the seventh inning.
Ball struck out two batters during a 1-2-3 sixth inning for the Lady Pirates.
Robinson singled and stole second as the first batters in the seventh inning. Babinsack retired the next three batters in a row, holding on for the 2-1 victory.
Liberty next heads to face Campbell in a weekend Big South series. The Lady Flames and Camels will contest a doubleheader on Friday at 4 p.m. at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
