Liberty University
13-5
East Carolina
9-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| Liberty | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 0 |
Walk-Off Ways Continue for Liberty in 7-6 Win Over ECU
3/6/2021 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty posted its third walk-off win of the season, erasing a 6-5 seventh-inning deficit before walking off on a bases-loaded Madison Via single. The Lady Flames earned the 7-6 win on Saturday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium, remaining unbeaten at the Liberty Softball Invitational.
The Lady Flames (13-5) improve to 3-0 this weekend and 6-1 at home this season. ECU falls to 9-5, including 1-3 at the invitational after walk-off setbacks to both Longwood and Liberty today.
Scoring Summary
ECU – 1st INNING – Estes singles, Garner and Narron score, 2-0
Liberty – 1st INNING – Bishop-Riley homers, Bishop scores, 2-2
ECU – 3rd INNING – Garner homers, 3-2
ECU – 3rd INNING – McCollum homers, 4-2
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Hudson singles, Canetto scores, 4-3
ECU – 4th INNING – Inae singles, Edwards scores, 5-3
Liberty – 5th INNING – Sweat reaches on fielder's choice, Canetto scores, 5-4
Liberty – 6th INNING – Via doubles, Channell scores, 5-5
ECU – 7th INNING – Ledvina singles, Garner scores, 6-5
Liberty – 7th INNING – Keeney homers, 6-6
Liberty – 7th INNING – Via singles, Hodum scores, 7-6
Notable Numbers
- Liberty recorded 14 hits, compared to 10 for the Pirates.
- Emily Kirby (3-1) earned the win, allowing one run on three hits, striking out seven and walking on in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Starter Naomi Jones lasted 1/3 of an inning, yielding two runs and walking one. Karlie Keeney (2 2/3 innings) and Megan Johnson (1/3 inning) also saw time in relief.
- ECU reliever Erin Peopping (3-2) drew the loss, allowing two runs on four hits, walking two in 1 1/3 innings in relief of starter Kama Woodall. Woodall yielded five runs on 10 hits in five innings of work.
- Madison Via batted 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Kara Canetto went 3-for-4 with two runs. Keeney (2-for-4) recorded her first two career hits, including a game-tying homer in the seventh. Amber Bishop-Riley batted 1-for-4 with her team-leading sixth homer, two RBI and one run scored.
- Chandley Garner went 2-for-3 with a homer, one RBI and three runs scored, while Rachel McCollum (2-for-2) homered, doubled, drove in one run and scored once. Logyn Estes went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Turning Point
- Liberty battled back from deficits of 2-0, 5-3 and 6-5 in the game.
- The Pirates led 5-3 after Ashleigh Inae's RBI single in the top of the fourth. Kirby came on to get the next two outs, keeping it a two-run game.
- The Lady Flames battled back with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, tying it at 5-5 on an RBI double by Via in the sixth.
- ECU took a 6-5 lead after a seventh-inning RBI single by Bailey Ledvina. With runners on second and third and two out, Kirby fanned Womack to bring Liberty to the plate.
- Keeney led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to right center. Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases with one out before Via chopped one on the infield. Pinch runner Megan Hodum raced home with the winning run, 7-6.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty has won each of the last four meetings against ECU in softball. However, the Pirates lead the all-time series, 33-7. The Lady Flames' last three wins over ECU have all been by one run.
- After tonight's win, Liberty is now 5-1 in one-run game this season, including 4-0 at home in those situations.
- The Lady Flames have homered in each of their last nine games. That is the team's longest streak with at least one home run since hitting homers in a program-record 16 straight games in 2007.
- Liberty has posted three walk-off wins this season, including a 3-2 win over Notre Dame and a 4-3, eight-inning victory over Villanova, both on Feb. 26. Liberty's three walk-off wins this year are the team's most walk-off victories since walking off four times in 2013.
- Keeney is the fifth Lady Flame this season, including second today (also Kara Canetto against Longwood) to hit her first career homer this year.
- Prior to tonight, the last time that a Liberty player pitched and homered in the same game was April 14, 2007 against Charleston Southern, when Sarah Swor started at DP, homered in the first inning and later pitched in relief.
- With 55 career home runs, Bishop-Riley is now three shy of Liberty's career record of 58, held by Jessica Moore (2005-07).
- Autumn Bishop moved into fourth place in program history with 230 career hits, passing Jessica Moore (2005-07). She is alo ranked fourth in total bases (352), while holding the program career record with 60 career doubles.
- Today was the fifth time this season that Liberty has scored the winning run in the seventh inning or later.
- Liberty is now 9-0 this season when scoring in the first inning.
- Via posted her third career four-hit game, and first since April 23, 2019 against Radford.
Up Next
The Lady Flames conclude their time at the Liberty Softball Invitational tomorrow, taking on Longwood at 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kirby, Emily (3-1)
L: POEPPING, Erin (3-2)
Batting:
2B: MCCOLLUM, Rachel 1 ; ESTES, Logyn 1
HR: GARNER, Chandley 1 ; MCCOLLUM, Rachel 1
RBI: INAE, Ashleigh 1 ; GARNER, Chandley 1 ; MCCOLLUM, Rachel 1 ; ESTES, Logyn 2 ; LEDVINA, Bailey 1
SH: INAE, Ashleigh 1 ; JARVIS, Faith 1
Base Running:
RUNS: NARRON, Olivia 1 ; GARNER, Chandley 3 ; MCCOLLUM, Rachel 1 ; EDWARDS, Gianna 1
SB: NARRON, Olivia 1
Batting:
2B: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Via, Madison 1
HR: Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Keeney, Karlie 1
RBI: Bishop-Riley, Amber 2 ; Keeney, Karlie 1 ; Hudson, Caroline 1 ; Via, Madison 2
SH: Hudson, Caroline 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Canetto, Kara 2 ; Keeney, Karlie 1 ; Hodum, Megan 1 ; Channell, Savannah 1
