Liberty University
25-14, 7-3
Stetson
14-20, 3-4
7th-Inning Homers Send Liberty Past Stetson 5-3
4/6/2019 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Trailing Stetson 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Liberty's Kayla Harris hit a game-tying solo shot and Amber Bishop later launched a walk-off two-run blast, giving Liberty a 5-3 win over Stetson on Saturday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
Liberty (25-14) improved its league best ASUN record to 7-3 with the win, while Stetson falls to 14-29, 3-4 in conference play after dropping the first game of today's doubleheader.
Today was Liberty's first walk-off win of the season. Also, Amber Bishop is the first Liberty player to hit a game-winning walk-off homer since Grace Nordan's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave Liberty a 9-8 victory over Fairfield on Feb. 22, 2013 in Greenville, N.C.
Scoring Summary
STETSON – 1st INNING – Smith singles to left, Russell advances, Jackson scores, 1-0
STETSON – 1st INNING – McLaughlin reaches on a fielder's choice, Diaz out at second, Smith advances, Russell scores, 2-0
STETSON – 1st INNING – Shubert singles to third base, McLaughlin advances, Smith scores, 3-0
LIBERTY – 5th INNING – Harris homers to left center, Erich scores, 3-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Harris homers to left, 3-3
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Amber Bishop homers to left center, Autumn Bishop scores, 5-3
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Stetson 11-8 for the game, while the Lady Flames registered three errors. The Hatters left 10 on base, while the Lady Flames stranded four. Liberty hit a season-high three homers.
- Julia DiMartino (12-6) earned the win, striking out six and allowing three hits in 5 1/3 scoreless relief innings. Liberty starter Chase Cassady yielded three unearned runs on five hits, walking two and fanning one in 1 2/3 innings of work.
- Stetson's Tori Perkins falls to 11-8 with the loss, giving up five runs on 11 hits, walking one and striking out one.
- Kayla Harris went 2-for-3 with two homers, the first two home runs of her Liberty career. She totaled three RBI and two runs scored. Amber Bishop batted 2-for-4 with her team-leading eighth home run, two RBI and one run. Jaclyn Amader and Sarah Robertson both went 2-for-3.
- Ashly Smith batted 2-for-3 with a double, one run scored and one RBI for Stetson.
Turning Point
- Stetson scored three unearned runs in the first, capitalizing on two Liberty errors. With two outs in the second, DiMartino came on and got Liberty out of a bases loaded jam. She also held Stetson off the board in the sixth when the Hatters filled the bases with two outs.
- Liberty got on the board in the fifth, as Erich hit a leadoff single. Harris lined her first career homer over the fence in left center, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
- Liberty loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, and nearly took the lead, but the Hatters erased one runner at the plate. Pinch hitter Emily Sweat then bounced a single to left, but it struck runner Erich, ending the inning.
- Harris tied the game with a leadoff blast to left in the bottom of the seventh. Autumn Bishop later singled with two outs, and Amber Bishop's two-run shot ended it.
Beyond the Box Score
- Today was Liberty's second win this season when trailing after six innings. The first came last Wednesday, when the Lady Flames came back from a 5-1 seventh-inning deficit at Duke, winning 10-6 in nine innings.
- Liberty is 7-12 this season when its opponent scores first in a game.
- The only other time in Liberty Softball Stadium history that Liberty hit three homers in a single game was March 14, 2017 against North Carolina A&T.
- Harris is the first Lady Flame since Amber Bishop against Cal Poly, May 22, 2017 to hit two home runs in a single game.
- Julia DiMartino picked up her 80th career victory and 700th career strikeout today.
- Autumn Bishop moved up into a tie for 11th in program history with Kelby Allen, at 110 career runs scored.
- Stetson is the first softball team from Florida to play at Liberty Softball Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DiMartino, Julia (12-6)
L: PERKINS, Tori (11-8)
Batting:
2B: SMITH, Ashly 1
RBI: SMITH, Ashly 1 ; MCLAUGHLIN, Molly 1 ; SHUBERT, Lizzie 1
SH: RUSSELL, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: JACKSON, Elizabeth 1 ; RUSSELL, Riley 1 ; SMITH, Ashly 1
SB: JACKSON, Elizabeth 1 ; RUSSELL, Riley 1
HBP: JACKSON, Elizabeth 1
Batting:
HR: Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Harris, Kayla 2
RBI: Bishop-Riley, Amber 2 ; Harris, Kayla 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Erich, Alexis 1 ; Harris, Kayla 2
SB: Robertson, Sarah 1
CS: Amader, Jaclyn 1
