Liberty University
0-1
Iowa
2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Hawkeyes | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Liberty Flames | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
No. 24 Liberty Falls to Iowa 7-0 in Season Opener
2/11/2022 4:15:01 PM | Softball
The No. 24 Liberty Lady Flames fell behind 4-0 to Iowa after one inning, dropping a 7-0 decision to the Hawkeyes, Friday at Sleepy Hollow Complex.
Iowa (2-0) posted two wins over ASUN teams today at the Northern Lights/Southern Nights Tournament, downing Eastern Kentucky 7-2 before posting a 7-0 win over Liberty. The Lady Flames (0-1) opened the season with a setback, and finish off day one of the season later this afternoon against No. 19 Kentucky.
Scoring Summary
Iowa – 1st INNING – Doster homers, grand slam, Klosterman, Carter and Burns score, 4-0
Iowa – 2nd INNING – Banes grounds out, Sheehy scores, 5-0
Iowa – 2nd INNING – Burns grounds out, Klosterman scores, 6-0
Iowa – 7th INNING – Burns flies out, sacrifice fly, Carter scores, 7-0
Notable Numbers
- Iowa outhit Liberty 7-2, while the Hawkeyes committed both of the game’s errors.
- Iowa sophomore Denali Loecker (1-0) tossed her first career shutout, allowing two hits while striking out four and walking two.
- Liberty’s Emily Kirby (0-1) drew the loss, allowing four runs on two hits and walking one in one-third of an inning pitched. Karlie Keeney yielded two runs on two hits with two walks in 2 2/3 inning pitched, while McKenzie Wagoner gave up one run on two hits, striking out three and walking two in four innings of relief.
- Tristin Doster batted 1-for-4 with a grand slam home run and four RBI, while Nia Carter went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored and Brylee Klosterman (1-for-3) scored twice. Riley Sheehy batted 2-for-2 for the Hawkeyes.
- For Liberty, Devyn Howard batted 1-for-3 with a double and Rachel Craine singled, going 1-for-3.
Turning Point
- Iowa jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first on Doster’s grand slam, leading to Keeney entering the circle for Kirby.
- The Hawkeyes added two runs in the second off of Keeney and tacked on an insurance run off of Wagoner in the seventh for the winning margin.
Beyond the Box Score
- Iowa leads the all-time series 3-1 against the Lady Flames, with the Hawkeyes winning each of the last three meetings in a row. The last meeting between these two teams was a 4-3 Iowa win, March 13, 2011.
- Liberty is now an even 14-14-1 in season openers during its NCAA Division I era (beginning in 1994). Today was Liberty’s first-ever season opener against a Big Ten team.
- The Lady Flames are 7-12 all-time against Big Ten opponents, including 4-3 under current head coach Dot Richardson.
- Three Liberty freshmen started today's game, in second baseman Rachel Craine, shortstop Raigan Barrett and right fielder Rachel Roupe.
- Today was the second meeting as head coaches between current Liberty head coach Dot Richardson and current Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie, with both coming in Liberty’s first game of a season. On Feb. 11, 2016, Gillispie’s 17th-ranked UCF Knights outlasted Richardson’s Flames 7-2 at UCF Softball Complex in Orlando, Fla.
- This is the seventh time in nine seasons under current head coach Dot Richardson that Liberty has opened the campaign in Florida.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Loecker (1-0)
L: Kirby, Emily (0-1)
Batting:
3B: N. Carter 1
HR: Doster 1
RBI: Banes 1 ; Burns 2 ; Doster 4
SH: Banes 1
SF: Burns 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Klosterman 2 ; N. Carter 2 ; Burns 1 ; Doster 1 ; Sheehy 1
HBP: Burns 1
Batting:
2B: Howard, Devyn 1
