Liberty softball was able to salvage a series sweep on Sunday morning, knocking off No. 24 Central Arkansas to pick up the team’s second top 25 win of the season. The Lady Flames are now 30-17 on the year and 13-5 in ASUN play. The win ended UCA’s 14th game win streak as the Bears fell to 33-9 overall and 16-2 in the ASUN, three games ahead of Liberty.
SATURDAY GAME 1: NO. 24 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 6, LIBERTY 1
No. 24 Central Arkansas used a four-run third inning to pull away for a 6-1, series-opening win over Liberty in game one of a doubleheader, Saturday.
ASUN-leading UCA received its first-ever national ranking last week, ranking as highly as No. 24 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll and D1Softball.com Top 25.
With one out in a 1-1 game in the bottom of the third, Young tripled, sparking a rally that included five singles, as Central Arkansas pushed across four runs on six hits to take a 5-1 lead. Liberty was unable to mount any offense after Hudson’s third-inning solo shot, as Johnson retired 13 out of the last 14 batters she faced.
SATURDAY GAME 2: NO. 24 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 1, LIBERTY 0
Central Arkansas scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, making Kayla Beaver’s four-hit shutout hold up as the 24th-ranked Bears won 1-0 to sweep the doubleheader, Saturday at Farris Field.
Both teams staged two-out rallies in the sixth. The Lady Flames got runners on the corners after back-to-back singles by Caroline Hudson and Rachel Roupe. However, Beaver got out of the inning with a fielder’s choice grounder.
Keeney got two quick outs in the home half of the sixth. Brown and Nelson singled, then a walk to Colleen Bare loaded the bases. Engelkes’ grounder got through shortstop Devyn Howard into left field, scoring Brown, but Madrey threw out Erin Michael at the plate to keep the score 1-0.
SUNDAY: LIBERTY 4, NO. 24 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3
Looking for the sweep and to extend their 14-game win streak, Central Arkansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 3rd. Liberty would come right back, in the top of the 4th, scoring two runs to even the score as Rachel Craine and Savannah Woodard each had RBI singles.
Pinch hitter Brynn McManus gave Liberty its first lead of the day with an RBI infield hit, making it 3-2 in the 6th. KK Madrey knocked in another run to push it to 4-2. The Bears would narrow the gap to 4-3 in the home half of the 6th but could not draw any more.
ON TAP
Wednesday, Apr. 26 vs Clemson, 5:00 p.m.
Friday, Apr. 28 vs Austin Peay, 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 29 vs Austin Peay, Noon (double-header)
