Liberty Softball Set to Open 2019 Season in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2/6/2019 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Tournament Central Page
Game Notes
Liberty, ranked 22nd in the Softball America Preseason National Poll, opens the 2019 season with its first-ever trip to Mexico. The Lady Flames will compete in the Puerto Vallarta Collegiate Classic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from Friday through Sunday. The Lady Flames will take on BYU, Notre Dame, Duke, No. 18 Baylor and the defending Women's College World Series runner-up, No. 2 Washington.
How to Follow the Lady Flames
Fans can follow all games of the Puerto Vallarta Collegiate Challenge via live video streaming through FloSoftball, which requires a subscription. Live stats will also be available through StatBroadcast
Led by two-time Big South Coach of the Year Dot Richardson, the Lady Flames made a splash at last year's NCAA Columbia Regional, winning their first two games (2-0 in 10 innings over No. 24/24 Hofstra, 3-1 over No. 11/10 South Carolina) to make their first Regional Final. Liberty won a program-record 49 games, which included a 19-game winning streak that was snapped in the Regional final against South Carolina.
The Lady Flames join the ASUN Conference this season, and were voted as preseason favorites in the coaches' poll. Liberty's 95 wins over the last two seasons are tied for the ninth most over that span in NCAA Division I softball.
Liberty returns eight all-conference players from last year's team, led by two-time Big South Pitcher of the Year Julia DiMartino, 2019 ASUN Preseason Player of the Year Autumn Bishop and Amber Bishop. All three were named to the NFCA All-Region team each of the last two years. Autumn Bishop was named to the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List.
DiMartino went 29-8 with a 1.72 ERA last year, setting new program single-season records in wins (29), shutouts (10), saves (6) and strikeouts (230). Chase Cassady, a 2018 all-conference second team pitcher, posted a 2.31 ERA, 10-3 record and five shutouts. Junior Elizabeth Engler went 8-2 with a 1.90 ERA and two shutouts during the 2018 season.
The Bishop twins, Amber and Autumn, sported an identical .365 average last season. Amber Bishop hit a team-leading 11 homers and added 42 RBI. Autumn Bishop finished second in the nation with 25 doubles and tied for the national lead with seven sacrifice flies. Jaclyn Amader (.312) and Sarah Robertson (.311) return after earning second team all-conference honors on the infield. Sophomore Madison Via (.297) was a Big South All-Conference first-team selection last season.
Team Notes
- Liberty's 49 wins were tied with South Carolina for the seventh most in NCAA Division I softball in 2018. The only teams with more wins were Florida State (58-12), UCLA (58-7), Oklahoma (57-5), Florida (56-11), Oregon (53-10) and Washington (52-10).
- Liberty's record has improved each season under Coach Richardson (11-46 in 2014, 29-30 in 2015, 31-28 in 2016, 46-24 in 2017, program-record 49-14 in 2018).
- Liberty's program-record 19-game winning streak was the longest active winning streak in the nation when it was snapped in the Regional Final last year. The Lady Flames tossed nine shutouts in those 19 games, including four by Julia DiMartino, three from Chase Cassady, a combined shutout by DiMartino and Cassady and Emily Kirby's first career shutout.
- Liberty set a new program record for single-season home victories in 2018, going 23-3 at Liberty Softball Stadium. Liberty's current 18-game home winning streak is the third longest active home winning streak in NCAA Division I softball, trailing Oklahoma (34) and Saint Francis (Pa.) (21).
- Liberty allowed two runs or fewer in 17 straight games, beginning April 20 and ending in the elimination game of the 2018 Columbia Regional.
