Liberty softball is in Las Cruces, New Mexico where the Lady Flames are seeking its first ever CUSA tournament championship and sixth conference title of all-time. Liberty enters the tournament field as the No. 1 overall seed and is one of six teams that advanced to the CUSA Championship and those teams now play a double elimination tournament this week culminating with a winner take all championship game Saturday.
All games will be streamed on ESPN+ with the exception of the championship game which will air on CBS Sports Network. We will be providing updates throughout the week on all the action in Las Cruces, so check back here for the updates every day this week.
Wednesday, Day One, May 8, 2024
Game 1: (#4) New Mexico State 6, (#5) Jacksonville State 5 (8 innings)
The tournament host, New Mexico State, had a walk off winner in game one of the 2024 CUSA Softball Championship on Wednesday afternoon. Senior outfielder Jillian Taylor hit the game-winning blast with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to propel the Aggies into the winners’ bracket. Trailing 5-3 in the seventh, NMSU led off the inning with back to back home runs from CUSA Player & Freshman of the Year Desirae Spearman and CUSA Newcomer of the Year Dezianna Patmon.
Game 2: (#3) Louisiana Tech 2, (#6) UTEP 0
Louisiana Tech outfielder Katelin Cooper was 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI singles and pitcher Brook MeInychuk tossed a three-hit shutout in the Bulldogs’ win over UTEP in game two of the CUSA Softball championships. Batting ninth in the lineup, Cooper dropped a bloop single in the second and in the fourth for the only runs of the game. MeInychuk needed just 69 pitches to navigate a shutout and finished with four strikeouts and no walks.
Game 3: (#6) UTEP 7, (#5) Jacksonville State 6 (Jacksonville State eliminated)
UTEP scored seven unanswered runs to complete a comeback victory over the 5-seed in an elimination game Wednesday night. Halle Hogan got the seventh inning scoring underway with an RBI single to center and scored the winning run out a two out hit from Ahlynn Allen. After the Gamecocks blew the game open with a four spot in the fourth, the Miners responded with their own four run inning in the sixth, highlighted by a three run home run by Anna Sample. The Miners advance to Thursday’s action while the Gamecocks are the first team eliminated from this week’s action.
Thursday, May 9
Game 4: (#4) New Mexico State 11, (#1) Liberty 3 (5 innings)
NMSU’s Dezianna Patmon hit two home runs to help the Aggies run-rule regular season champion Liberty on Thursday afternoon. Patmon has already tied the league record for the most home runs in a CUSA Softball Championship with her third dinger in the first two days. She hit a three-run s hot in the third and secured the run needed to meet the run-rule requirement with a two-out blast in the fifth. The Aggies struck first with a two-run homer from Desirae Spearman in the top of the first. The Lady Flames trimmed the 5-0 lead down to two, but the Aggies reciprocated with three runs in the fourth. Elena Escobar suffered the loss with four runs allowed in two innings of work.
Game 5: (#2) Western Kentucky 10, (#3) Louisiana Tech 6
In a game that featured four lead changed, No. 2 seed Western Kentucky outlasted the Louisiana Tech Lady Bulldogs. The Hilltoppers did a majority of their damage in the fifth inning with six runs, which were capped by a three run home run from Cheyanne Sales. After the Bulldogs struck first in the third, WKU swiftly responded with four runs in the home half of the inning. The action was highlighted by a three run home run off the bat of Sophie Weber, who also had a second home run of the game in the fifth inning.
Game 6: (#1) Liberty 13, (#6) UTEP 10 (UTEP eliminated)
Facing elimination, the Lady Flames fought back from 5-0 and 8-4 deficits to stay alive in Las Cruces, battling back to eliminate the UTEP Miners. UTEP led off the game with a home run, scored three runs in the top of the first and two more in the second to take control at 5-0. Liberty would not go away easily. The CUSA regular season champ scored four in the bottom of the second including two on a double by Brynn McManus to cut the lead to 5-4.
In the fourth, UTEP’s Marijn Crouwel blasted a three run home run to extend the lead to 8-4 and give the 6-seed the momentum once again. The Lady Flames battled right back as McManus hit a grand slam to knot the game at 8. Liberty came right back in the 5th, scoring three runs, including two on an RBI single by Savannah Jessee as the Flames took its first lead of the tournament. The Miners cut the deficit to one at 11-10 with two runs in the 6th, but Brooke Roberts’ two run home run in the sixth gave the Flames the insurance it needed to stay alive.
Friday, May 10
Game 7: (#2) Western Kentucky 7, (#4) New Mexico State 2
Following a six run first inning, No. 2 WKU cruised to a 7-2 victory over the Aggies on Friday afternoon. With the win, the Hilltoppers have secured a spot in Saturday’s winner take all CUSA Championship Final on CBS Sports Network. Western Kentucky plated all six runs before an out was recorded as Taylor Sanders hit a three run home run to open the scoring. Sophie Weber followed with a bases clearing double. Weber also hit a solo shot to cap WKU’s scoring on the day. Hilltoppers ace Katie Gardner pitched a complete game with five strikeouts, no walks, and just two runs on five hits.
Game 8: (#1) Liberty 5, (#3) Louisiana Tech 0 (Louisiana Tech eliminated)
Kaylan Yoder dazzled in the circle, keeping Louisiana Tech from severely threatening during the game until the sixth inning. The Liberty freshman Yoder pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, 1 walk, and 1 hit by pitch with seven strikeouts. In four games played between these two teams this season, the Bulldogs did not score a run in 28 innings played. The Lady Flames got all the run support they needed for Yoder in the second inning, plating three runs in that frame. Raigan Barrett, Brooke Roberts, and Rachel Craine all knocked runs in for the Flames. Louisiana Tech would threaten in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but Yoder and the Lady Flames were able to get out of the jam unscathed. Roberts’ RBI single and Barrett scored on a wild pitch in the 6th to tack on a couple insurance runs.
Game 9: (#1) Liberty 5, (#4) New Mexico State 3
The rematch between the Flames and the Aggies was much different than what we saw in the first game of the day Thursday. Liberty’s Elena Escobar held New Mexico State to just one run on two hits while pitching a complete game. The only run for the host NMSU came in the third on a solo home run by Kristen Boyd. Other than that, Escobar and the Liberty defense held New Mexico State in check. Escobar pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out four.
Trailing 1-0 and being held without a hit in the first three innings, the Lady Flames finally struck in the bottom of the fourth. Rachel Roupe blasted a home run to right field to tie the game. Brooke Roberts then put the Lady Flames ahead with an RBI single.
Holding the narrow 2-1 lead against the vaunted New Mexico State offense, Liberty would not be content. Roberts hit another RBI single followed by a two-run home pinch hit home run by Sierra Kersten to push the advantage to 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth.
NMSU would put the first two batters on in the top of the seventh. Boyd hit a hard line drive to right field and Liberty’s Rachel Roupe made a terrific catch and doubled a runner off second base. The very next batter for the Aggies hit a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 5-3. Escobar would get the third out recorded to secure the win.
