Team Effort Leads Lady Flames Past Hampton, 6-2
3/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty used a complete team effort to earn a 6-2 win over Hampton in game one of a doubleheader on Tuesday at Lady Pirates Softball Stadium.
The Lady Flames improve to 13-14 with the victory, as the team is now 9-4 in its last 13 contests. Hampton falls to 5-16 on the campaign.
All nine batters in Liberty's starting lineup posted at least one base hit, and the Lady Flames recorded a season-high five stolen bases. Senior Kelby Allen, junior Blair Lawrence and freshman Alexia Taylor recorded two hits apiece, with Allen and Taylor doubling and Allen tying her career high with two stolen bases. Senior Megan Robinson went 1-for-3, extending her hitting streak to 11 games.
For Hampton, senior Kerissa Burruel went 2-for-3, while freshman Jada Fields batted 1-for-2 with an RBi double.
Liberty redshirt junior Chandler Ball (9-5) won her sixth straight decision, yielding two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
Hampton's junior Jecoliah Pratt (0-3) drew the loss after yielding six runs, five earned on 11 hits with two strikeouts and five walks in 6 2/3 innings of relief work. Starter Jailynn Jackson lasted 1/3 of an inning, allowing one hit.
Robinson singled with one out in the top of the first, with Jackson appearing to get injured on the play. Pratt came on to relieve Jackson, getting Allen to hit into a double play.
Taylor hit a leadoff double during the second inning, she then scored Liberty's first run when junior Mickey Loveridge reached on a throwing error. With two outs, junior Katie Han drew a walk, and Lawrence hit an infield single. Pratt fanned freshman Tori Zavodny to leave the bases loaded and Liberty ahead, 1-0.
The Lady Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second, on base hits by junior Jessica Reiman and Burruel and a walk to sophomore Danielle Budden. Margaret Wilkins hit an infield RBI single, tying the score at 1-1 before junior Diamond Ponds grounded out to end the rally.
Liberty regained the lead with a third-inning rally. Allen hit a one-out single and stole second. Allen's hit was the first of five straight singles, with Taylor and senior Jamie Crisp posting RBI base hits, and an error allowing Liberty's third run of the inning. Pratt got out of the jam, but not before the Lady Flames held a three-run advantage.
The Lady Flames tacked on a run in the top of the fourth, as Allen doubled with one out and went to third on a groundout. After a walk to Loveridge, a double-steal play worked to perfection, with Allen stealing home for a 5-1 lead.
Liberty added an insurance marker during the fifth frame. Han lined a leadoff single to left and reached third on a one-out single from Zavodny. Robinson's sacrifice fly then made it 6-1, before Allen grounded to short for the third out.
Hampton pushed across one run during its sixth time at bat. Freshman Allyson Babinsack drew a leadoff walk, and Fields lifted an RBI double to left center to draw within 6-2. Ball struck out Budden and got Burruel on an inning-ending groundout.
After a scoreless Liberty seventh, Hampton got a leadoff baserunner via an infield single by sophomore Taylor Clark. However, Ball sealed the 6-2 win with three groundouts.
Liberty and Hampton are currently playing game two of today's doubleheader.
