Sunday, March 24
Huntsville, Texas
1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT
Liberty University
17-13, 7-2
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Sam Houston
12-19, 1-8
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LIBERTY
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Sam Houston
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Sam Houston Claims 9-Inning 8-5 Win Over Liberty in Walk-Off Fashion
3/24/2024 4:43:00 PM | Softball
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Sam Houston claimed its first Conference USA victory in dramatic fashion, defeating Liberty 8-5 on a walk-off three-run homer by Tricia Yarotsky in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sunday at Bearkat Softball Complex.
With the win, the Bearkats (12-19, 1-8 Conference USA) snapped a six-game winless skid. Meanwhile, Liberty (17-13, 7-2) saw its six-game winning streak end. Three weeks into conference play, the Lady Flames are tied with Louisiana Tech atop the CUSA standings.
Scoring Summary
Sam Houston – 2nd INNING – Saville singles to right center, Herzinger scores, 1-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Jessee reaches on fielder's choice, Roupe scores on error, 1-1
Sam Houston – 3rd INNING – Hebel singles to left center, Hobbs scores, 2-1
Sam Houston – 4th INNING – Talbot reaches on fielder's choice, Saville advances, Carter scores on error, 3-1
Sam Houston – 4th INNING – Grill grounds out to second, Saville scores, 4-1
Liberty – 5th INNING – Jessee doubles to left, Deter scores, 4-2
Liberty – 7th INNING – Fortner homers to center, Byrum and Norris score, 5-4
Sam Houston – 7th INNING – Grill scores on a passed ball, 5-5
Sam Houston – 9th INNING – Yarotsky homers to left, Hebel and Grill score, 8-5
Turning Point
The Lady Flames return home for four games in the next six days. Liberty hosts Virginia on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before welcoming Louisiana Tech to Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium, Thursday through Saturday.
With the win, the Bearkats (12-19, 1-8 Conference USA) snapped a six-game winless skid. Meanwhile, Liberty (17-13, 7-2) saw its six-game winning streak end. Three weeks into conference play, the Lady Flames are tied with Louisiana Tech atop the CUSA standings.
Scoring Summary
Sam Houston – 2nd INNING – Saville singles to right center, Herzinger scores, 1-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Jessee reaches on fielder's choice, Roupe scores on error, 1-1
Sam Houston – 3rd INNING – Hebel singles to left center, Hobbs scores, 2-1
Sam Houston – 4th INNING – Talbot reaches on fielder's choice, Saville advances, Carter scores on error, 3-1
Sam Houston – 4th INNING – Grill grounds out to second, Saville scores, 4-1
Liberty – 5th INNING – Jessee doubles to left, Deter scores, 4-2
Liberty – 7th INNING – Fortner homers to center, Byrum and Norris score, 5-4
Sam Houston – 7th INNING – Grill scores on a passed ball, 5-5
Sam Houston – 9th INNING – Yarotsky homers to left, Hebel and Grill score, 8-5
Turning Point
- With Liberty trailing 4-2 and down to its last strike, Megan Fortner hit a two-out, three-run homer to put the Lady Flames ahead 5-4 in the top of the seventh.
- Sam Houston rebounded in the home half, as Ellie Grill hit a leadoff double before scoring on a pair of passed balls. After Elia Hebel singled, Paige Bachman came on in relief. After loading the bases with nobody out, Bachman got out of the jam with a 1-2-3 double play and a groundout.
- After a scoreless eighth, Grill singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Bachman then walked Hebel, with Grill going to third on a passed ball. Liberty starting pitcher Kaylan Yoder reentered to face Yarotsky, whose three-run homer ended the game.
- Sam Houston outhit Liberty 13-11 for the game, with both teams committing two errors. The Lady Flames tied a season high with two double plays. Liberty left 10 runners on base, while the Bearkats stranded seven.
- Amy Abke (5-4) earned the win for Sam Houston, pitching 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief in which she struck out one. Bearkat starter Abigail Young gave up one unearned run on four hits in four innings, walking one and fanning one. Reliever Mika Vento yielded four runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings.
- Paige Bachman (2-3) was charged with the loss, allowing two runs on two hits, walking two in two relief innings. Liberty starter Kaylan Yoder yielded five runs (three earned) on seven hits, with one walk and three strikeouts in three total innings. Katie Love gave up one run on four hits, striking out one in three innings.
- Sam Houston's Tricia Yarotsky went 3-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and one run scored. Ellie Grill batted 2-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs. Elia Hebel and Allie Saville both went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.
- For Liberty, Mary Claire Wilson and KK Madrey both batted 2-for-4. Madrey stole two bases. Megan Fortner went 1-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and one run scored. Savannah Jessee batted 1-for-4 with an RBI double.
- The all-time series between Liberty and Sam Houston is now tied at 2-2, as all four meetings have taken place at Bearkat Softball Complex. The Bearkats won the first meeting, 3-0, on March 14, 2012 in Huntsville.
- Prior to today, the Lady Flames had scored first in 10 straight games. The last time Liberty's opponent scored first was March 3, when Louisiana tallied the first run before the Lady Flames came back to win 7-1.
- Today was Liberty's first extra-inning game of the season after going to extra innings nine times last year. It was also the team's longest game since falling to Central Arkansas 2-1 in 11 innings in an elimination game at the 2023 ASUN Softball Championship.
- Wilson has reached base safely in each of her last 12 games. Wilson and Roupe both extended their hitting streaks to eight games.
- Fortner, who homered twice this weekend, leads all active Lady Flames in career homers (35) and RBI (123).
- Madrey recorded two steals for the second time this season (also March 10 at FIU).
- Liberty is now 1-2 in conference series finales this season. The Lady Flames have won the first two games in all three Conference USA series so far.
The Lady Flames return home for four games in the next six days. Liberty hosts Virginia on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before welcoming Louisiana Tech to Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium, Thursday through Saturday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Amy Abke (5-4)
L: Bachman, Paige (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Jessee, Savannah 1
HR: Fortner, Megan 1
RBI: Jessee, Savannah 1 ; Fortner, Megan 3
SH: Wilson, Mary Claire 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roupe, Rachel 1 ; Deter, Hailey 1 ; Norris, Aubry 1 ; Byrum, JaMaya 1 ; Fortner, Megan 1
SB: Madrey, KK 2
Batting:
2B: Ellie Grill 1 ; Julia Herzinger 1 ; Kinsey Hobbs 1
HR: Tricia Yarotsky 1
RBI: Ellie Grill 1 ; Elia Hebel 1 ; Tricia Yarotsky 3 ; Allie Saville 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ellie Grill 2 ; Elia Hebel 1 ; Tricia Yarotsky 1 ; Julia Herzinger 1 ; Haleigh Carter 1 ; Allie Saville 1 ; Kinsey Hobbs 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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