Emily Kirby

Class:
Sophomore
Bats/Throws:
L/L
Height:
5-8
Hometown:
Greenville, N.C.
Position:
P
Prev School:
D.H. Conley HS

2021 (Jr.*)

• Made 34 appearances, starting 24 times while throwing 12 complete games

• ASUN Pitcher of the Year

• NFCA All-Southeast Region third team

• CoSIDA Academic All-District III

• VaSID All-State first team

• ASUN All-Conference first team

• ASUN All-Tournament Team

• Posted a 15-5 record, 1.92 ERA, nine shutouts, two saves, 145 strikeouts and a .194 opponents’ batting average in 138.1 innings pitched

• Entered the season with 60 total innings pitched over her first three seasons, emerged as staff ace

• In conference play, went 6-1 with an ASUN-leading 0.82 ERA, four shutouts, 62 strikeouts and a .148 opponents batting average in 51 innings pitched

• Finished the season tied for 10th nationally with nine shutouts, which is the most shutouts by a Liberty left-hander and one shy of Julia DiMartino’s (2018) single-season program shutout record

• Had three separate streaks of 15-or-more consecutive shutout innings, including a 27 1/3 inning scoreless streak from April 10 through April 28

• Led the ASUN in strikeouts per seven innings both overall (7.34) and in conference play (8.51)

• Had three double-digit strikeout games, the first Liberty player since Julia DiMartino in 2019 with 10 or more strikeouts in three games in the same season

• Tossed a six-inning, five-hit shutout in her first game of the season (Feb. 12)

• Struck out a then career-high 11 batters in three-hit shutout over Longwood (March 7)

• Outdueled SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year Mary Haff on March 16, tossing a 10-inning five-hit shutout during which she struck out eight batters, helping Liberty snap Arkansas’ 19-game winning streak

• Kirby’s 10-inning shutout at Arkansas tied Julia DiMartino (2018 vs. Hofstra) for the longest shutout in program history, and also was Liberty’s first shutout of an SEC program

• Followed up the Arkansas game with a complete-game one-hitter at Bellarmine (March 20), with her career-high 15 strikeouts being one shy of the program single-game record

• Fanned 10 batters in three-hit shutout at Lipscomb (April 10)

• Tossed a three-hitter at Lipscomb the following day, striking out seven and pitching back-to-back shutouts for the second time this season

• Earned her 10th win of the season in five-inning two-hit shutout of Bellarmine (April 25)

• Struck out nine and walked none in four-hit shutout at Kennesaw State that wrapped up first place in the ASUN North Division

• Went 4-1 with a 1.22 ERA, two shutouts and a .184 opponents batting average during ASUN Championship

• Pitched four-hit shutout in game one of ASUN quarterfinal series against Lipscomb, striking out six (May 7)

• Held Lipscomb scoreless, allowing four hits and fanning seven in ASUN quarterfinal clinching game (May 13)

2020 (Jr.)

• Made six appearances, starting two times in the circle

• Went 0-2 with an 8.94 ERA in 15 2/3 innings pitched, averaging a team-best 5.36 strikeouts per seven innings

• Started in exhibition against Team USA and one of her heroes, Cat Osterman, striking out the first batter she faced (Janie Reed)

• Her first start of the season came against No. 8 Alabama (Feb. 13), striking out three while allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings

• Struck out three UCLA Bruins in two innings of relief (five runs allowed)

• Drew the start against No. 3 Florida State, allowing five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings pitched

2019 (So.)

• Pitched in 12 games, starting seven times

• Posted a 4-2 record and a 3.55 ERA with one complete game, 15 strikeouts and a .216 opponents batting average in 25 2/3 innings pitched

• Served as a pinch runner seven times, scoring twice and stealing one base

• Earned the win in Liberty's first-ever ASUN victory, a complete-game effort at Kennesaw State (March 16) during which she allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings pitched

• Struck out a career-high five batters in two innings of relief against Delaware State (Feb. 21)

• Started and pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout softball in 2-0 win at FGCU (March 31)

• Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete

• Named to ASUN Honor Roll

2018 (Fr.)

• Pitched in seven games, starting four times

• Went 2-1 with a 5.25 ERA, two complete games and one shutout

• Earned win in first career pitching appearance, tossing one hitless inning of relief in 3-1 win over Toledo (Feb. 10)

• Started against a pair of nationally-ranked opponents, No. 20/21 South Carolina (March 2) and No. 12/12 Baylor (March 10)

• Went the distance against Baylor, becoming first Liberty freshman since Rachel Floyd in 2004 to pitch a complete game against a nationally-ranked opponent

• Tossed her first career complete-game shutout, April 26 at Hampton, a three-hitter during which she struck out three and walked one

• Named to Big South Presidential Honor Roll

Prep

• Graduated from D.H. Conley High School

• As a sophomore, pitched a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts in the NCHSAA 4A State Championship game, as her team earned the state title

• Three-time all-conference, all-district and all-county selection

• Named to all-state team as both a junior and senior

• Voted the Daily Reflector Pitcher of the Year in 2016, going 21-4 with a 1.28 ERA, 221 strikeouts, 11 shutouts and three no-hitters in 163 2/3 innings pitched

• Tabbed the Eastern Carolina Conference Softball Player of the Year as a senior, posting a 12-3 record and 2.53 ERA while also batting .328

• In 2012, her team won 12U Babe Ruth League Softball World Series, as she was named to the All-World Series team

Personal

• Daughter of Brian and Celeste Kirby

• Majoring in kinesiology: teacher certification

• Birthday is Jan. 27