Lady Flames Race Past Buccaneers, 5-2
4/21/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty raced out to a 5-0 lead, and held off a late CSU rally, downing the Buccaneers, 5-2, in game one of a doubleheader, Saturday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
With the win, Liberty's fifth in a row, the Lady Flames (35-12, 14-3 Big South) secured the series victory over CSU (25-26, 6-11). Liberty has won 11 straight home games. At 35-12, the Lady Flames are the most games over .500, 23, that they have been at any point in any single season.
Jaclyn Amader went 2-for-3 with one run scored, while Amber Bishop batted 1-for-3 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored. Bishop is the first Liberty player since Meredith Crisante in April 2012 with homers in three straight games. Jasmeen Click went 2-for-2, while Deidra See doubled and drove in one run. Sarah Robertson recorded two RBI. Liberty stole seven bases, getting two steals each from Jaclyn Amader and Madison Via.
CSU's Jade Gandara went 3-for-3, while Sarah Brown batted 2-for-3 with a double and one run scored. Meghan Gagliano hit an RBI triple.
Elizabeth Engler (7-2) earned the win for Liberty, allowing two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out two in five innings. Julia DiMartino picked up her league-leading and program-record-extending sixth save of the season, striking out three batters in two hitless innings of relief.
Nicole Ayala (1-4) drew the loss, giving up five runs on four hits, walking six and striking out one in 3 2/3 innings. Arizona Pilgrim pitched 2 1/3 innings of three-hit relief.
Liberty took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Amber Bishop hit a one-out solo home run to right center. Amader singled and stole second, but a groundout ended the inning.
The Lady Flames threatened in the bottom of the second. Via drew a one-out walk and stole second, and Click bunted for a base hit. After a Click steal, Autumn Bishop walked, loading the bases with two outs. Amber Bishop lined out to left for the third out.
Liberty's big inning came in the fourth, as the hosts tallied four runs on four hits. Via drew a leadoff walk, and scored on an RBI double by Deidra See. Click sent See to third with a sac bunt. CSU walked Amber Bishop intentionally. Catcher Mallory Kasinger threw wildly on Amber Bishop's steal attempt, allowing See to score and Bishop to take third. After Ayala walked Amader, Pilgrim came on in relief, giving up a two-run single to Robertson that made it 5-0.
Engler faced the minimum through four innings, thanks to a pair of double plays and a runner being tagged out trying to stretch a single to a double. CSU broke through for the first time in the series, scoring twice in the fifth. Brown hit a leadoff double, as her popup was lost in the sun. A groundout sent her to third before Madison Koger got robbed by a diving Madison Via in right, with Brown scoring on the sacrifice fly. Destini Ewing walked, before Gagliano lined a two-out triple to left center, pulling the Buccaneers to within 5-2. Annie Bakenhus grounded to first for the third out.
DiMartino entered the circle in relief of Engler after Gandara's leadoff single in the sixth. She proceeded to retire the next six batters to pick up the six-out save.
Liberty loaded the bases in the sixth, but the inning ended when Robertson lined into an unassisted double play to the third baseman.
