Liberty Set for Midweek Matchup at Troy
2/16/2021 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Liberty softball team, off to a 5-0 start to the 2021 season, heads to Troy, Ala., to take on the undefeated Troy Trojans (4-0), Wednesday at 3 p.m. Eastern time at Troy Softball Complex.
Liberty went 5-0 at THE Spring Games in Leesburg, Fla., on the weekend, outscoring their opponents, 38-9. Meanwhile, the Trojans outscored opponents 24-3 at their home Trojan Classic. Both Liberty (10-4 over Pitt) and Troy (5-2 over Ole Miss) have a win over a Power 5 opponent this season.
Liberty and Troy will be meeting for the second time in softball. The Trojans won the first meeting, 3-0, on March 7, 2009 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Stay tuned to Liberty Softball social media accounts for periodic updates throughout the matches. There will be live stats for Wednesday's game. Find the link on the schedule page of LibertyFlames.com/softball.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Two Lady Flames, Blake Gibson (Dothan) and Megan Hodum (Vestavia Hills), will be playing in their home state for the next six games, as Liberty plays at the Bama Bash on the weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
• Liberty received seven votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. The Lady Flames received one vote in the NFCA preseason poll.
• Liberty is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since beginning the 2018 campaign with a 6-0 record.
• For the third year in a row, the Lady Flames were voted to finish first in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll. Amber Bishop-Riley was named Preseason ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team by outfielder Kara Canetto.
• Liberty bats .349 as a team so far this season, holding opponents to a .202 batting average. The Lady Flames pitching staff sports a 1.75 ERA.
• Three-time NFCA All-Region selection Amber Bishop-Riley has picked up where she left off last year. She currently bats .444 with two homers, five RBI and six runs scored. On Monday against New Mexico State, she hit a pair of homers. With 51 career homers, she ranks second in program history in home runs. Bishop-Riley, a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List member, holds Liberty's career records for hits, RBI and total bases.
• Savannah Channell (.429) and Caroline Hudson (.421) both bat over .400 in the early going after finishing near .300 during their shortened freshmen seasons in 2020.
• Freshman Mary Claire Wilson (.385) averages one stolen base per game, including a career-high two steals in Monday's first game against NMSU. Kara Canetto (.375), Emily Sweat (.353, team-leading eight RBI) and Blake Gibson (.333) all hit over .300. Two-time NFCA All-Region player Autumn Bishop hits .263 on the season.
• Emily Kirby is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA after tossing her second career shutout, Friday against Middle Tennessee. Karlie Keeney is 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA and one save, while McKenzie Wagoner (2.21, 8.84 strikeouts per seven innings) and Megan Johnson (1-0, 2.62 ERA) bolster a strong pitching staff.
Up Next
This weekend's schedule at the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa has experienced changes due to weather and Gardner-Webb dropping out due to a CoVID-19 pause. Please see below the revised Bama Bash schedule for Liberty.
Friday, Feb. 19 – Liberty at No. 5 Alabama – 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 20 – Liberty vs. No. 7 LSU – Noon ET
Saturday, Feb. 20 – Liberty at No. 5 Alabama – 2:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 21 – Liberty vs. No. 7 LSU – 11:30 a.m. ET
