Lady Flames Pull Away Late, Down Chattanooga, 11-2
2/11/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty led Chattanooga, 3-2, entering the fifth inning, before scoring eight unanswered runs to claim an 11-2 victory in six frames on Saturday at the National Training Center.
The Lady Flames improve to 3-0 at the season-opening Dot Richardson Invitational, a ledger that includes a pair of wins over Chattanooga (0-3). The Lady Flames have outscored opponents 25-3 over the first three games of the season.
On Saturday, Liberty outhit UTC, 12-3, while the Lady Flames were sparked by a pair of four-run innings and strong relief pitching from Elizabeth Engler.
Engler (1-0), a freshman, earned the win with four innings of two-hit relief, striking out three and walking three. Engler is the first Lady Flame to win in her collegiate pitching debut since teammate Stephanie Marlowe defeated Virginia Tech on March 30, 2016. Starter Julia DiMartino allowed two runs on one hit in two innings.
UTC's Payten Price (0-2) drew the loss, allowing seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits in five innings of work. Reliever Alex Connell gave up four runs on two hits in one inning.
Amber Bishop hit 3-for-4, while Autumn Bishop batted 1-for-4 with three runs scored. Rylee Reynolds batted 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI, tying her career high for doubles. Emily Sweat doubled and drove in two runs, while Tori Zavodny hit Liberty's first homer of the season.
For Chattanooga, Jesslyn Stockard went 1-for-2 with a homer and two RBI.
The Lady Flames wasted no time getting on the board. Sarah Robertson singled, before going to second on a groundout. Autumn Bishop drove in Robertson with a single, and went to second on the throw home. Amber Bishop then hit an RBI single, making it 2-0.
After a 1-2-3 Chattanooga first, Ashley Conner drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the second. Stockard followed by launching a one-out, two-run homer to right. DiMartino retired the next two batters.
Liberty regained its lead with an unearned run in the top of the third. Autumn Bishop reached on a fielder's choice. She then scored on a throwing error after Amber Bishop singled. The inning was short-circuited when Liberty's last two runners were thrown out on the bases.
Engler came on in relief of DiMartino, pitching a three-batter third inning.
Chattanooga threatened to tie the game in the fourth, loading the bases with one out on two infield hits and a walk. Engler kept the Mocs at bay, with a strikeout and fielder's choice.
Zavodny jump-started a four-run fifth for the Lady Flames, leading off with a homer to right. Kayla Harris singled with two outs, and Sweat later came through with a two-run double to right. A pinch-hit single by Jaclyn Amader made it 7-2, Liberty.
The Lady Flames blew the game open with a four-spot in the sixth. With runners on second and third and one out, Harris plated Autumn Bishop. Deidra See then hit a sacrifice fly. After a two-out walk to Sweat, Reynolds roped a two-run double to left, good for an 11-2 lead.
Engler pitched her fourth straight scoreless frame in the sixth inning, and Liberty sealed the 11-2, run-rule victory.
The Lady Flames will face Fairleigh Dickinson for the second day in a row, taking on the Knights at 4 p.m.
