Liberty University
4-0
Toledo
3-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| Liberty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Liberty Scores Late, Downs Toledo, 3-1
2/10/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty earned a 3-1 victory over Toledo on Saturday at the National Training Center, scoring three times in the fifth to complete a comeback.
Liberty (4-0) has started the season with four straight wins for the second year in a row. The Lady Flames held opponents scoreless for 21 1/3 consecutive innings to begin this year's campaign, tossing three straight shutouts. Toledo fell to 3-1 at this weekend's season-opening Dot Richardson Invitational.
Toledo outhit Liberty, 6-2, while the Rockets left eight runners on base compared to five for the Lady Flames. Both teams committed two errors.
Emily Kirby (1-0) picked up the win with one inning of relief in her first career appearance. Julia DiMartino allowed just one hit while earning the save, pitching two innings and struck out three. Chase Cassady drew a no-decision, yielding one run on five hits, with two walks and two strikeouts in four innings pitched.
Heather Webb (1-1) allowed three runs on just one hit, walking four and fanning one in 4 1/3 innings. Kailey Minarchick gave up one hit in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Tori Zavodny went 1-for-2 with one RBI for Liberty, while Autumn Bishop batted 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
Six different Rockets recorded one hit each, with Showalter hitting a double for the only extra-base hit of the game.
Kirby entered the circle with Liberty trailing, 1-0, in the top of the fifth inning. She tossed a 1-2-3 inning.
The Lady Flames then staked a comeback in the bottom of the frame. Kaitlin McFarland drew a leadoff walk, and Taylor Hoffman walked with one out. Autumn Bishop then came through with a game-tying single, going to second on the throw home. Minarchick then entered the circle in relief of Webb. Zavodny lined a go-ahead, two-run single, making it 3-1, Liberty. Minarchick got the next two outs on groundouts.
Toledo threatened in the top of the sixth, as Kirby walked the first two batters. DiMartino then relieved Kirby. A sacrifice sent runners to second and third with one out, before DiMartino fanned the next two batters.
Megan Choate bunted for a base hit to start the seventh, but DiMartino completed the six-out save by retiring three in a row to end the game.
Both teams left two runners on base in the first inning. The first two Rockets got on via walk and single before Cassady retired the next three in a row.
In the bottom of the first, Zavodny drew a one-out walk. Following two outs, Alexia Taylor reached on an error, sending Zavodny to third. Sarah Robertson grounded the second for the final out.
The Rockets nearly went ahead in the third inning, as Kylie Norwood hit a leadoff single. Ami Ill reached on an error, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. With one out, Toledo's squeeze bunt attempt failed, leading to Norwood getting tagged out at the plate. Samantha Golden flied out for the third out.
Showalter's leadoff double in the fourth led to the Rockets' run. She went to third on a sac bunt. Cassady then walked Kaitlyn Bergman. Bekah Yenrick came through with a single, and pinch runner Raelyn Yenrick went to third. The Rockets' double-steal attempt field when Ashley Rausch left first early.
Webb pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning, and had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning.
The Lady Flames will finish out their time at the Dot Richardson Invitational tomorrow, taking on Detroit Mercy at 10 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kirby, Emily (1-0)
L: WEBB, Heather (1-1)
S: DiMartino, Julia (1)
Batting:
2B: SHOWALTER, Samantha 1
RBI: YENRICK, Bekah 1
SH: ILL, Ami 1 ; COZY, Katie 2 ; BERGMAN, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SHOWALTER, Samantha 1
SB: ILL, Ami 1
CS: NORWOOD, Kylie 1
Batting:
RBI: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Zavodny, Tori 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; McFarland, Kaitlin 1 ; Hoffman, Taylor 1
SB: Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Taylor, Alexia 1
