Liberty University
28-14, 12-2
Stetson
22-22, 6-8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stetson | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Liberty | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
Lady Flames Defeat Hatters 6-5 in 9 Innings on Fortner’s Walk-Off Double
4/15/2023 7:50:57 PM | Softball
Liberty earned a doubleheader sweep of Stetson, as junior Megan Fortner hit a two-out walk-off double in the ninth inning to seal the 6-5 win on Saturday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
The Lady Flames improve to 28-14, including 12-2 in ASUN play, and capture the series with one game to play tomorrow. Meanwhile, Stetson falls to 22-22, 6-8 on conference play with its fourth straight loss.
Scoring Summary
Liberty – 1st INNING – Craine singles to center, goes to second on error, Roupe and Hudson score, 2-0"
Liberty – 2nd INNING – Howard triples to center, Madrey scores, 3-0
Stetson – 3rd INNING – Morgan singles to right, advances, Gilman and Clary, 3-2
Stetson – 5th INNING – Morgan grounds out, Gilman and Clary advance, Eppley scores, 3-3
Stetson – 5th INNING – McCleren singles up the middle, Gilman and Clary score, 5-3
Liberty – 5th INNING – Hudson doubles to center, Madrey scores, 5-4
Liberty – 5th INNING – Roupe hits sacrifice fly to right center, Heidorn scores, 5-5
Liberty – 9th INNING – Fortner doubles to right center, ground rule, Craine scores, 6-5
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Stetson 13-6 for the game, with both teams committing three errors. Both squads also left eight runners on base. This was Liberty’s seventh extra-inning game this season, as the Lady Flames are 4-3 in extras, while Stetson is 2-4 in extra-inning contests.
- Karlie Keeney (19-6) earned her second win of the day, allowing one run on three hits in five innings of relief, walking two and fanning four. Between today’s two games, she threw 190 pitches. Liberty starter Paige Bachman allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, walking three and striking out two in four innings.
- Stetson’s Hannah Marien (8-9) allowed six runs (four earned) on 13 hits, striking out four in 8 2/3 innings.
- Rachel Craine batted 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored, while Rachel Roupe went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Megan Fortner hit 2-for-5 with the walk-off RBI double, while Alexis Soto went 2-for-4. KK Madrey batted 1-for-2 with two steals and two runs scored, while Caroline Hudson hit her team-leading 11th double of the season.
- Evette Morgan went 2-for-5 with two RBI for Stetson, while Brianna Clary and Alyssa Gilman both scored twice. Annabella McClerren went 1-for-4 with two RBI, while Kami Eppley stole two bases.
Turning Point
- Both teams left two runners on base to end their respective eighth time at bat.
- The Hatters got a one-out single from Gilman in the top of the ninth, but pinch runner Haley Fox was caught stealing by Soto for the second out before Keeney got the final out via ground out.
- The Lady Flames rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, as Craine hit a double down the left-field line and Fortner drove a 1-2 pitch into right center, bouncing it over the fence for a walk-off ground rule double.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty leads the all-time series against Stetson 11-8, including 8-1 since joining the ASUN for the 2019 season.
- Liberty has now won 16 out of its last 17 ASUN regular-season series.
- The Lady Flames have won 22 out of 26 ASUN regular-season series since joining the conference in 2019.
- Liberty posted its third walk-off win of the season and first since Feb. 26, when the Lady Flames downed Marshall 5-4 in eight innings on a walk-off double by Roupe.
- Fortner, Roupe, Savannah Woodard and Caroline Hudson all have one career game-winning walk-off hit to their credit.
- Liberty’s seven extra-inning games this season are the team’s most since going 4-3 in extra innings during the 2016 season.
- The Lady Flames are now 5-5 in one-run games this year, 15-1 when scoring in the first inning and 23-2 when scoring first.
- This was the fifth time in her career and third time this season that Keeney earned two victories in the same day.
- With her two wins today, Keeney becomes just the third pitcher in program history with 60 or more career victories. Her 19 wins this season tie her personal career best for a year, set last season.
Up Next
The Lady Flames and Hatters conclude this weekend’s series with a single game tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Liberty Softball Stadium.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Keeney, Karlie (19-6)
L: MARIEN, Hannah (8-9)
Batting:
RBI: MORGAN, Evette 2 ; MCCLERREN, Annabella 2
Base Running:
RUNS: CLARY, Brianna 2 ; GILMAN, Alyssa 2 ; EPPLEY, Kami 1
SB: CLARY, Brianna 1 ; EPPLEY, Kami 2
CS: FOX, Haley 1
HBP: BAXTER, Marissa 1
Batting:
2B: Hudson, Caroline 1 ; Craine, Rachel 1 ; Fortner, Megan 1
3B: Howard, Devyn 1
RBI: Howard, Devyn 1 ; Hudson, Caroline 1 ; Roupe, Rachel 1 ; Craine, Rachel 1 ; Fortner, Megan 1
SH: Madrey, KK 1
SF: Roupe, Rachel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hudson, Caroline 1 ; Heidorn, Lilly 1 ; Roupe, Rachel 1 ; Craine, Rachel 1 ; Madrey, KK 2
SB: Madrey, KK 2
