Liberty University
30-16
Virginia
17-25
Virginia Escapes With 4-3 Win Over Liberty
4/16/2019 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty battled back from deficits late in Tuesday's game at Virginia before falling 4-3 to the Cavaliers at The Park in Charlottesville.
With the win, Virginia (17-25) snapped a 13-game winless streak, while the Lady Flames fell to 30-16 on the season with the loss. The Lady Flames and Cavaliers split the season series, with both teams winning at home.
Scoring Summary
VIRGINIA – 1st INNING – Smith doubles to center, Busby scores, 1-0
VIRGINIA – 1st INNING – Osherow reaches on fielder's choice, Smith scores, 2-0
VIRGINIA – 1st INNING – Ritchie walks, Barber and Gott advance, Osherow scores, 3-0
LIBERTY – 6th INNING – Robertson singles up the middle, Amader and Amber Bishop advance, Autumn Bishop scores, 3-1
LIBERTY – 6th INNING – Erich singles to right, Robertson and Amader advance, Amber Bishop scores, 3-2
VIRGINIA – 6th INNING – Osherow singles to right, Smith advances, Covington scores, 4-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Amader reaches on a fielder's choice, Amber Bishop out at second, Autumn Bishop advances, Hoffman scores, 4-3
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Virginia 10-8 for the game, while the Cavaliers recorded two errors. The Cavaliers stranded 10 runners while the Lady Flames left eight on base.
- Erika Osherow (2-2) earned the win, allowing one run on six hits in five innings pitched. She helped her own cause, going 1-for-3 with two RBI. Allyson Frei picked up the save, yielding one unearned run on one hit, striking out two in 1 2/3 innings.
- Emily Kirby (4-2) drew the loss, giving up three runs on two hits in 1/3 of an inning. Chase Cassady struck out four in 2 2/3 innings of relief before Julia DiMartino yielded one run on five hits in three innings.
- Lacy Smith batted 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run and one RBI, while Abigail Barber batted 2-for-3 with a double.
- Eight out of Liberty's nine batters got at least one hit, while Amber Bishop and Autumn Bishop both went 2-for-4 with one run scored each.
Turning Point
- Virginia scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, leading to Cassady's entry into the game.
- The Lady Flames knocked on the door several times before breaking through in the sixth.
- Autumn Bishop led off the sixth inning with a single before Aly Rayle entered the circle for Osherow. Amber Bishop the singled before Amader walked to load the bases. Robertson made it 3-1 with an RBI single. Erich then hit an RBI single to right, narrowing the gap to 3-2 before Amader was thrown out at the plate. Frei came in to get the final two outs.
- With runners on the corners and two out in the bottom of the sixth, Osherow dropped an RBI single to right for a 4-2 lead.
- Liberty rallied with one out in the top of the seventh. Pinch hitter Emily Sweat drew a walk, before Autumn Bishop reached on an error and Amber Bishop singled. Amader drove in one run when she reached on a fielder's choice. Robertson lined one into left field that Bailey Winscott snared for the final out.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty had won each of the last five meetings with Virginia prior to today's game. The Lady Flames are 14-6 against the ACC since the start of the 2017 season.
- Autumn Bishop extended her hitting streak to 10 games, tying her longest hitting streak of the season to date.
- Sarah Robertson passed Alexia Taylor (2015-18) into seventh place in program history with her 123rd career RBI, and Robertson is now ranked fifth all-time at Liberty with 698 career at bats.
Up Next
Liberty returns home for its next four games. The Lady Flames will host Jacksonville for a three-game ASUN Conference series, Friday and Saturday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium. Liberty and Jacksonville will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Lady Flames will honor their eight seniors – Jaclyn Amader, Chase Cassady, Jasmeen Click, Julia DiMartino, Kaitln McFarland, Rylee Reynolds, Sarah Robertson and Deidra See – with senior day ceremonies prior to this weekend's games.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Erika Osherow (2-2)
L: Kirby, Emily (4-2)
S: Allyson Frei (3)
Batting:
RBI: Amader, Jaclyn 1 ; Robertson, Sarah 1 ; Erich, Alexis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Hoffman, Taylor 1
SB: Amader, Jaclyn 1
CS: Via, Madison 1
Batting:
2B: Lacy Smith 2 ; Abigail Barber 1
RBI: Lacy Smith 1 ; Erika Osherow 2 ; Arizona Ritchie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hayley Busby 1 ; Lacy Smith 1 ; Erika Osherow 1 ; Kate Covington 1
HBP: Olivia Gott 1
