Savannah Jessee’s RBI double in the bottom of the ninth scored Megan Fortner and lifted #1 seed Liberty to a 4-3 win over #2 seed Western Kentucky in the 2024 CUSA Softball Championship.
Fortner led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Just a few pitches later she would easily score on Jessee’s line drive to left center, leading the Lady Flames to the walk-off win in the winner take all conference championship game on Saturday afternoon in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Liberty now advances to its fourth straight NCAA Regional, winning the program’s first ever Conference USA softball championship in the team’s first season in its new league. The Lady Flames become the first team since Western Kentucky in 2015 to win the Conference USA Softball Championship in its first season in the league.
It was a wild affair on Saturday for the championship, capping a wild and emotional week for the regular season champ Liberty Flames. The Hilltoppers took the early lead, scoring a run in the top of the first after a dropped ball third strike allowed the runner to reach base. WKU took the 1-0 lead on a hit to left field where the Flames’ KK Madrey couldn’t quite reel in the diving catch.
Elena Escobar entered the game in the third inning with the bases loaded, but she would escape the jam unscathed. Western Kentucky would add to its lead in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, a line drive down the line in left field was just out of Madrey’s reach as she dove for the ball, allowing one run to score.
In the home half of the fifth, Liberty finally broke through into the scoring column. Mary Claire Wilson singled with two outs. After a Rachel Roupe walk, Brynn McManus would knock Wilson in with a single to left field, making the score 2-1. WKU struck back immediately on Kelsey Schmidt’s solo home run in the top of the sixth.
The Lady Flames would continue the back and forth affair, plating two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the contest at three. Brooke Roberts and Wilson each had RBI singles. Roberts was thrown out at the plate on Wilson’s single to right field as she was unable to get her hand in under the catcher’s tag.
With the game still tied in the bottom of the seventh, Liberty came to bat looking to end the contest. The Lady Flames would load the bases with two outs as Raigan Barrett stepped into the batter’s box. The Liberty shortstop was hit by the pitch on her left elbow. It looked like it would end the game and the Flames would win with the walk-off HBP. After a review, the umpires ruled that Barrett leaned into the pitch, resulting in the pitch being called a ball. Barrett would eventually strike out to end the threat and send the title tilt into extra innings.
Looking to seize the momentum, the Hilltoppers were able to load the bases with nobody out in the top of the eighth. With some help from her defense, Escobar was once again able to escape. She got the first out with a short pop out just beyond the infield dirt to shallow center field. The next batter would fly out to right center to record the second out of the inning, and Wilson’s throw to second would double off the runner, ending the inning before the runner on third was able to tag and reach home plate.
Both teams would fail to score in the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth with Liberty back at the dish in the bottom of the ninth where the Lady Flames would pick up the win in dramatic fashion.
The Hilltoppers advanced to the championship game through the winner’s bracket, winning their two games played on Thursday and Friday, respectively. After losing in its first game to New Mexico State on Thursday, Liberty had to fight back through the loser’s bracket. The Lady Flames won three straight games facing elimination, beginning Thursday night and then two games on Friday to advance to Saturday’s final.
Liberty becomes just the second team to win the CUSA Softball Championship after losing its first game, joining DePaul who accomplished the feat in 2004. Liberty also accomplished the feat in 2011, opening the Big South Championship that year with a loss to the host team, Winthrop. The Lady Flames would then win four elimination games over the next two days to claim the tournament title.
The Lady Flames will learn of its Regional destination on Sunday, May 12 during the NCAA selection show which airs on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.
