Liberty University
14-12
North Carolina
16-10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Liberty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
UNC Holds On for 3-2 Win Over Liberty
3/16/2022 5:57:09 PM | Softball
North Carolina’s Kianna Jones hit a solo homer in the sixth inning, pushing the visiting Tar Heels to a 3-2 win over Liberty, Wednesday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
UNC (16-10) extended its winning streak to four games, while Liberty (14-12) dropped its sixth game in a row. Each of the Lady Flames’ last five games have been decided by just one run.
Scoring Summary
North Carolina – 1st INNING – Greene flies out to left field, sacrifice fly, Jubas advances to second, Stubbs scores, 1-0
North Carolina – 1st INNING – Middleton singles up the middle, Brown advances, Jubas scores, 2-0
Liberty – 4th INNING – Griffin homers to left, Griffin and Heidorn score, 2-2
North Carolina – 6th INNING – Jones homers to left, 3-2
Notable Numbers
- North Carolina outhit Liberty 7-6, while the Lady Flames committed one error. UNC left seven runners on base, while Liberty stranded four.
- Lilli Backes (4-7) allowed two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out seven.
- Karlie Keeney (8-6) drew the loss, allowing one run one three hits, fanning one and walking one in 5 2/3 innings of relief. Starter Megan Johnson yielded two runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.
- Kianna Jones went 2-for-3 with a homer, one RBI and one run scored. Bri Stubbs batted 2-for-3 for the Tar Heels.
- Six different Lady Flames had one hit apiece, with Griffin’s homer being Liberty’s one extra-base hit.
Turning Point
- UNC took a quick 2-0 lead in the first and had two on base with one out in the second when Keeney came on in relief of Johnson. The Liberty reliever retired the first nine batters she faced.
- Griffin tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run shot off of the scoreboard in left center in the fourth.
- Jones’ solo homer in the sixth proved to be the difference, as Backes closed out the win by allowing just one batter over the minimum over the final three innings.
Beyond the Box Score
- North Carolina is now 6-2 all-time against Liberty in softball, including 1-1 at Liberty Softball Stadium.
- The Lady Flames have posted a 2-3 record versus ACC teams this season, as each of their last three games have been against ACC competition.
- Liberty is now 12-2 at home against ACC opponents since the start of the 2018 season.
- Griffin’s home run, the eighth of her career, was the first homer she has hit in Liberty Softball Stadium.
- Each of Liberty’s last five games has been decided by one run each, the most consecutive one-run games played by the Lady Flames since April 16-21, 2015, when Liberty went 4-1 in a five-game span where each contest was decided by just one run.
- Griffin has now reached base safely in each of the last 13 games.
Up Next
The Lady Flames open up ASUN play this Saturday and Sunday in Richmond, Ky., taking on conference newcomer Eastern Kentucky in a three-game series. Liberty eliminated EKU in the 2021 NCAA Knoxville Regional, a 5-1 win over the Colonels on May 22, 2021.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lilli Backes (4-7)
L: Keeney, Karlie (8-6)
Batting:
HR: Kianna Jones 1
RBI: Taylor Greene 1 ; Destiny Middleton 1 ; Kianna Jones 1
SH: Skyler Brooks 1 ; Katie Perkins 1
SF: Taylor Greene 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bri Stubbs 1 ; Sara Jubas 1 ; Kianna Jones 1
HBP: Bri Stubbs 1 ; Alex Brown 1
Batting:
HR: Griffin, Denay 1
RBI: Griffin, Denay 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Heidorn, Lilly 1 ; Griffin, Denay 1
CS: Howard, Devyn 1
HBP: Allan, Lou 1
PO: Howard, Devyn 1
