Liberty University
12-6
Sacred Heart
4-4
Lady Flames Take Game 1 From Sacred Heart, 5-0
3/4/2019 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Liberty Lady Flames jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and pulled away for a 5-0 win over the visiting Sacred Heart Pioneers in game one a doubleheader, Monday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium
The Lady Flames improve to 12-6 overall, including 4-0 at the Liberty Softball Classic. Liberty has won nine straight games overall, and extended its program-record home winning streak to 26 games. Sacred Heart falls to 4-4, with a 2-2 mark at the invitational.
Liberty has set a new program record with seven consecutive shutouts, and also eclipsed its previous program record, not allowing a run in the last 47 2/3 innings pitched.
Scoring Summary
LIBERTY – 1st INNING – Robertson reaches on a fielder's choice, Amber Bishop out at second, Autumn Bishop scores from second on the play, 1-0
LIBERTY – 1st INNING – Via reaches on a throwing error by the pitcher, Griffin advances, Robertson scores, 2-0
LIBERTY – 5th INNING – See singles to third base, Hoffman and Via score, 4-0
LIBERTY – 6th INNING – Amber Bishop scores on a wild pitch, 5-0
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Sacred Heart, 8-2, with the Lady Flames stranding 10 runners and the Pioneers leaving three on base.
- Julia DiMartino (7-3) tossed a two-hit shutout, her second complete-game shutout of the season, walking one and striking out 10. It was the Lady Flames' first 10-strikeout game of the season.
- Kristen McCann fell to 2-2 with the loss, giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits, walking six and striking out five.
- Amber Bishop went 4-for-4 with a double and one run scored, her second career four-hit game. Four Liberty batters added one hit apiece.
Turning Point
- Sacred Heart led off the game with a double by Haley Desrosiers, but DiMartino kept her at second. The Lady Flames scored twice in the bottom of the first, and Deidra See's pinch-hit, two-out, two-run infield single in the fifth inning doubled Liberty's lead to 4-0.
- That was all the support DiMartino needed, as she retired the final 12 batters in order.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty pushed its home winning streak to a program-record 26 games, dating to March 10, 2018. Only Oklahoma (35) has a longer active home winning streak among NCAA Division I softball teams.
- Liberty surpassed the previous program record of six straight shutouts, from April 7-14, 2017. That year, the Lady Flames posted a program-record 44-inning shutout streak from April 7-15 which was passed today.
- Amber Bishop is one of three Lady Flames with a four-hit game this season, joining Jaclyn Amader (Feb. 8 vs. BYU) and Madison Via (Feb. 9 vs. Duke).
- DiMartino improved her personal consecutive shutout innings streak to 24 1/3 innings, pitching her 26th career shutout.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DiMartino, Julia (7-3)
L: Kristen McCann (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Hailey Desrosiers 1
Base Running:
SB: Hailey Desrosiers 1 ; Kira Ferraiolo 1
Batting:
2B: Bishop-Riley, Amber 1
RBI: See, Deidra 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Robertson, Sarah 1 ; Via, Madison 1 ; Hoffman, Taylor 1
SB: Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Via, Madison 1 ; Hoffman, Taylor 1 ; Baele, Addison 1
