Liberty University
2-9
Northern Illinois
1-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Liberty | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
Lady Flames Run-Rule NIU 8-0 in Home Opener
2/24/2023 2:53:10 PM | Softball
Liberty scored six runs during the fifth inning, pulling away for a five-inning 8-0 win over NIU on Friday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
The Lady Flames (2-9) snapped a six-game winless streak with an 8-0 win in their home opener. Meanwhile, NIU (1-6) dropped both of its games at the Liberty Softball Classic.
Scoring Summary
Liberty – 1st INNING – Madrey singles to left, Howard scores, 1-0
Liberty – 1st INNING – Hudson hit sacrifice fly, Madrey scores, 2-0
Liberty – 5th INNING – Howard advances to third, Barrett scores on a wild pitch, 3-0
Liberty – 5th INNING – Kersten doubles to left center, 6-0
Liberty – 5th INNING – Roupe homers to left, Heidorn scores, 8-0
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit NIU 7-1 for the game, with the Huskies committing the game’s lone error.
- Karlie Keeney (1-5) earned her first win of the season, tossing a one-hit shutout, walking one and striking out two.
- Danielle Stewart (0-4) drew the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, walking four and striking out one in four innings before giving way to Emily Dato.
- Devyn Howard batted 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Sierra Kersten went 1-for-2 with a double and three RBI. Rachel Roupe hit 1-for-2 with a homer, two RBI and one run scored.
Turning Point
- The Lady Flames scored twice in the first, but remained off the board until scoring six runs on four hits in the fifth. Kersten’s three-run double made it 6-0. Roupe then ended the game, launching the first pitch she saw over the fence in left for an 8-0 final.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty tied the all-time series at 2-2. The last meeting before today was a 6-4 Lady Flames win on March 3, 2001.
- Both of Liberty’s wins so far this season have been 8-0 run-rule wins, the first coming on Feb. 11 against San Jose State.
- Liberty has won its home opener all nine years of Liberty Softball Stadium history.
- Keeney is now tied with Ali Thompson (2001-03) for sixth in program history with 13 career shutouts. She is also tied with Chase Cassady (2016-19) for the second most wins in Liberty Softball Stadium history (21).
- Keeney is the first Lady Flame since Megan Johnson (April 24, 2022 vs. Jacksonville) to pitcher a complete-game one-hiter.
- Kersten’s first hit as a Lady Flame came today, a three-run double.
Up Next
The Lady Flames play twice tomorrow, taking on Princeton at 4 p.m. before facing Marshall at 6 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Keeney, Karlie (1-5)
L: STEWART, Danielle (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Kersten, Sierra 1
3B: Howard, Devyn 1
HR: Roupe, Rachel 1
RBI: Madrey, KK 1 ; Hudson, Caroline 1 ; Kersten, Sierra 3 ; Roupe, Rachel 2
SH: Madrey, KK 1 ; Roupe, Rachel 1
SF: Hudson, Caroline 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Howard, Devyn 2 ; Madrey, KK 1 ; Tuck, Maddy 1 ; Craine, Rachel 1 ; Heidorn, Lilly 1 ; Roupe, Rachel 1 ; Barrett, Raigan 1
SB: Madrey, KK 1
CS: Wilson, Mary Claire 1
HBP: Craine, Rachel 1
