Liberty Bounces Back, Downs KSU, 7-1
3/21/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Liberty softball team downed Kennesaw State, 7-1, in game two, earning a doubleheader split on Wednesday at Bailey Park.
Liberty (22-8) bounced back from an 8-0 setback to the Owls in game one. Kennesaw State, which received votes in this week's NFCA national poll, falls to 18-10 on the season.
For the game, Liberty outhit Kennesaw State, 8-3. KSU registered four errors, compared to two for the Lady Flames.
Elizabeth Engler (4-0) yielded one unearned run in the complete-game effort, tying her career high with five strikeouts. She walked two and allowed three hits.
Alley Cutting (6-5) drew the loss, giving up six runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out seven and walking one in six innings pitched. Hailey Andrews pitched the final inning, giving up one run on one hit and walking one.
Seven different Lady Flames recorded at least one hit. Amber Bishop went 2-for-4 with a homer, her team-leading fourth of the season, one RBI and two runs scored. Sarah Robertson batted 1-for-4 with a three-run homer.
Maddie Roth went 2-for-3 with a double for Kennesaw State.
Liberty took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Amber Bishop sent an opposite-field laser blast over the fence in right.
After a 1-2-3 KSU first, Kaitlin McFarland lined a double to right center with one out in the second. Cutting fanned the next two batters, stranding the runner at second.
Kira Czyrklis singled with one out in the bottom of the second, but the next two Kennesaw State batters recorded outs, ending the inning.
The Flames rallied in the fourth. After one out, Robertson reached on an error and Jaclyn Amader singled up the middle. Cutting then struck out McFarland and Madison Via, ending the rally.
With one out in the bottom of the second, Roth lined a double down the right-field line. Engler then walked Patricia Awald, and got Alexa Solorzano to foul out before striking out Czyrklis.
Alexis Erich lined a pinch-hit double down the left-field line after one out in the fifth. Autumn Bishop came through with an RBI single up the middle, doubling Liberty's advantage to 2-0. Robertson reached on an error, pushing across pinch runner Cassie Gingerich. Alexia Taylor was thrown out at third on the play, but not before Liberty took a 3-0 lead.
Two errors opened the door for the Owls to start the bottom of the fifth. Jessie Mullen stole third with one out, and scored when strike three against Olivia Tamewitz got away from the catcher on a wild pitch. Noelle Winkles walked, and Roth then singled, but Winkles' overaggressive baserunning led to her being thrown out at third to end the inning.
An error allowed Amader to reach as the leadoff batter in the sixth. She went to second on a groundout and later scored on Taylor Hoffman's RBI single up the middle for a 4-1 Liberty lead. Cutting struck out Jasmeen Click for the third out.
Following a 1-2-3 KSU sixth, Liberty put the game out of reach in the seventh. Autumn Bishop reached on an error before Amber Bishop singled to left. Andrews then came on in relief of Cutting and gave up a one-out, three-run homer to Robertson.
Engler shut the door on any potential comeback try by KSU, retiring the final six batters she faced to secure the 7-1 win.
The Lady Flames head to Clinton, S.C., where they will play a three-game series at Presbyterian, Friday and Saturday. Liberty and Presbyterian will contest a doubleheader on Friday at 2 p.m. before playing a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
