Liberty Drops 3-2 Decision to Texas State
3/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but was unable to complete the comeback, falling to Texas State, 3-2, on Saturday at Auburn's Jane B. Moore Field.
Texas State (13-3) runs its winning streak to four games, including a 3-0 showing so far at the Wilson/DeMarini Classic. Liberty falls to 9-10, going winless in five games while in Auburn.
Christianna McDowell went 2-for-4 with a homer, one RBI and one run scored, while Corrina Liscano batted 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Liberty outhit the Bobcats, 9-6, with Autumn Bishop going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two runs scored. Deidra See went 2-for-2, while Sarah Robertson added an RBI single.
Quincy Charleston (1-0) earned the victory, allowing one run on four hits in three innings of relief. Starter Jodi Paige Williams gave up one run on five hits, striking out one in four innings.
Liberty's Elizabeth Engler (2-2) drew the loss, giving up the eventual winning run on one hit, with two walks in a third of an inning. Chase Cassady pitched 6 2/3 total innings, yielding two runs on five hits, striking out three and walking two.
Autumn Bishop's aggressive base-running gave Liberty a run in the top of the first. She hit a leadoff double down the left field line and went to third after being caught in a rundown. Bishop then scored on a passed ball.
Jaelyn Young led off the second inning with an infield single, before Cassady got the next three batter to fly out.
Cassady worked around a two-out walk in the top of the third, as Autumn Bishop made a sliding grab for the third out.
Singles by Deidra See and Autumn Bishop gave Liberty two runners with one out in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice bunt sent both runners up one base, before Jaclyn Amader lined out to right.
The Bobcats tied the score at 1-1, in the top of the fifth inning. Pinch hitter Alex Cruz led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and took third on a groundout. Lexi Fryar then walked. Liscano scored from third when Fryar got caught in a rundown going to second.
See and Jasmeen Click singled back-to-back to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Charleston then came on in relief of Williams, inducing a double play and a groundout to escape the jam.
Texas State went ahead on a one-out solo homer by McDowell in the top of the sixth. Engler then entered the circle for Cassady. She walked a pair, before giving up an RBI single to Liscano. Cassady re-entered, getting Haleigh Davis to fly out and end the threat.
Liberty received a pair of two-out baserunners in the sixth, as Alexia Taylor singled and Amader reached on an error. Charleston then got Taylor Hoffman to ground out.
Cassady worked through a jam in the top of the seventh, giving up two singles with two outs. A fielder's choice ended the Bobcats' seventh time at bat.
The Lady Flames rallied with two outs in the seventh frame. Autumn Bishop tripled down the left-field line and scored on a sharp single by Robertson. Amber Bishop the singled up the middle, putting the winning run on base. However Emily Sweat lined out to short, ending the game.
Liberty returns to Lynchburg, where the Lady Flames will open the 2017 home schedule by hosting the Liberty Softball Classic, Friday through Sunday. The Lady Flames will welcome North Carolina Central, Rhode Island and Saint Francis (Pa.) to Liberty Softball Stadium.
