Lady Flames Welcome ECU, Longwood to Liberty Softball Invitational
3/4/2021 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game Day Central
Game Notes
The Liberty softball team (10-5), in the midst of a program-record 11-game homestand, welcomes East Carolina (8-2) and Longwood (2-8) to Liberty Softball Stadium for the Liberty Softball Invitational, Friday through Sunday.
2021 Liberty Softball Invitational
Kamphus Field at Liberty Softball Stadium - Lynchburg, Va.
Friday, March 5
East Carolina vs. Longwood - 2:30 p.m. – Live Stats | ESPN+
Liberty vs. East Carolina - 5 p.m. - Live Stats | ESPN+
Saturday, March 6
Longwood vs. East Carolina - Noon - Live Stats | ESPN+
Liberty vs. Longwood - 3 p.m. - Live Stats | ESPN+
Liberty vs. East Carolina - 5:30 p.m. - Live Stats | ESPN+
Sunday, March 7
East Carolina vs. Longwood - 10 a.m. - Live Stats | ESPN+
Liberty vs. Longwood - 12:30 p.m. - Live Stats | ESPN+
2021 Spring Sports Admissions/Tickets
Due to COVID-19 and state regulations, capacity at all Liberty Athletics events is under a limited capacity of 250 patrons or 30 percent capacity, whichever is less based on social distancing protocols, per Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's current Phase 3 guidelines. With those guidelines in place, admission to each event has been adjusted per sport. For more information regarding availability, please click here. Softball attendance is limited to home and visiting player pass lists only.
ECU went 3-2 at the 2020 Liberty Softball Classic, including a 3-2 loss to the host Lady Flames. Longwood's last trip to Lynchburg ended is a 2-1 setback to Liberty, May 4, 2019.
The Lady Flames are 4-1 at home this season following a dominant 8-1 win over Radford on Wednesday. Naomi Jones earned the win in her first career start, while Kara Canetto went 3-for-4 and Blake Gibson homered and drove in four runs. Liberty has hit .309 at home so far this season, averaging nearly nine runs scored per game, while the opponent hits .216.
Liberty went 3-1 at its home-opening Liberty Softball Classic last weekend. The Lady Flames earned a pair of walk-off wins on Friday, starting with a 3-2 win over Notre Dame. Amber Bishop-Riley hit a walk-off double to give Liberty its first-ever win over Notre Dame in softball. Liberty then won a wild 18-13 game over Villanova on Saturday afternoon before Notre Dame snapped Liberty's 19-game home winning streak, 3-1 on Saturday night.
Bishop-Riley hit .533 last week with two doubles, two homers, seven RBI and five runs scored last weekend, earning ASUN Softball Player of the Week for the second week in a row.
For the third year in a row, Liberty was voted the favorite in the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll. Senior Amber Bishop-Riley was voted the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team by sophomore Kara Canetto.
Three-time NFCA All-Region player Amber Bishop-Riley bats .429 with an ASUN-leading five home runs to go with 14 RBI. Kara Canetto (.353) has scored 12 runs, while Savannah Channell (.316) has homered twice. Emily Sweat (.298) has hit a career-high three homers while leading the ASUN with 17 RBI. Two-time NFCA All-Region player Autumn Bishop (.288) leads the ASUN lead with six doubles, while Mary Claire Wilson (.259, six steals) is second in the conference in stolen bases.
The Liberty pitching staff has fashioned a 3.36 ERA. Karlie Keeney (5-2, 2.83) is the ASUN leader in wins and innings pitched (47.0). 2020 Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year McKenzie Wagoner is 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA and .205 opponents' batting average. Emily Kirby (2-1, 4.57) struck out a career-high eight batters in her second start of the season (at Troy) after shutting out Middle Tennessee in her season debut. Naomi Jones (1-0, 3.82) received her first career pitching action on Feb. 20 at Alabama, while Megan Johnson (4.45) is 1-1 so far.
