Liberty softball continues to lead Conference USA, picking up another series win. This weekend, the Lady Flames defeated New Mexico State, winning two games in dramatic fashion over the visiting Aggies. Liberty has won all seven conference series so far this season, including three sweeps. Liberty is now 28-18 overall and remains in first place in CUSA at 17-4.
WEDNESDAY: NORTH CAROLINA 2, LIBERTY 1
North Carolina held off a late Liberty rally, edging the Lady Flames 2-1 at Liberty Softball Stadium.
UNC led 2-0 after Sanaa Thompson’s fourth inning solo home run. The Tar Heels threatened for more in the fifth. With a runner on third and two outs, Lexi Godwin sent a liner to left field which Liberty’s KK Madrey robbed the potential RBI extra base hit with a diving catch.
The Lady Flames narrowed the gap to 2-1, scoring in the bottom of the fifth. Liberty put its leadoff batter on base in the seventh, as Raigan Barrett singled. After one out, Liberty catcher Savannah Jessee lined into a game-ending double play.
Kaylan Yoder drew the loss, allowing two runs on five hits while fanning three in 3.1 innings pitched. Elena Escobar tossed 3.2 innings of two-hit relief, walking two and striking out one.
FRIDAY: LIBERTY 8, NEW MEXICO STATE 7 (10 innings)
It was an instant classic game on Friday night in Lynchburg as the Lady Flames battled back from late deficits twice and eventually outlast the visiting Aggies.
NMSU opened the game with a leadoff home run to take the 1-0 lead, but Liberty would score four unanswered, including three in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead into the final two innings. The Aggies would add one run on an RBI single in the 6th but entered the seventh inning trailing 4-2.
Jillian Taylor narrowed the gap to 4-3 with an RBI triple before Dezianna Patmon’s two-out, two-run home run gave NMSU the lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Aggie reliever Emily Dix got two quick outs putting the Flames down to its final out and the bases empty. In stepped Rachel Roupe, who blasted a game-tying homer to center field on an 0-1 pitch, sending the game into extra innings tied at 5.
Neither team would scratch across a run in the 8th, but the Aggies scored twice a in the top of the ninth, once on a wild pitch and another on an RBI single, putting the visitors ahead 7-5.
In the home half of the 9th, Hailey Deter laced a one-out ball into right center, as she raced around into second for the double. After a fly out, Roupe once again stepped into the batter’s box with the Flames facing defeat and down to the team’s final out. She came through in the clutch once again, smashing a ball over the fence in right center, once again tying the game, this time at 7 to send the game to the 10th.
After Kaylan Yoder kept the Aggies off the scoreboard in the top of the 10th, the Lady Flames were able to manufacture the game winning run in the bottom half. Mary Claire Wilson led off the inning with a double. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, moving to the base with two outs. As Raigan Barrett stepped to the plate, Wilson was able to score on a passed ball for the walk-off win.
Yoder earned the win, pitching the first two innings and then returning for three outs in the 10th. She allowed one run on one hit and struck out six. Elena Escobar yielded five runs on seven hits, walking two and fanning four in six innings. Paige Bachman pitched one innings, giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout.
Roupe finished the game 3 for 3 with a double and the two home runs. She had four RBI and scored two runs. This was Liberty’s second walk-off win of the season, with the other coming via a two-run home run in the seventh from Rachel Roupe in the season opener against St. John’s. Roupe is the second Lady Flame in program history to homer twice when both of her home runs came in the seventh inning and later. Caroline Hudson hit a game-tying three run homer in the seventh inning and a game winning two-run home run on April 28, 2021 against Virginia Tech.
SATURDAY: NEW MEXICO STATE 6, LIBERTY 2
The Aggies evened the weekend series at one game apiece with a 6-2 victory over the Lady Flames on Saturday.
New Mexico State’s Desirae Spearman pitched a complete game and supported her own cause with a two-run Homer in the third to make it 3-0. Her seventh inning solo homer pushed the visitors’ lead to 6-0.
The Lady Flames loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Brynn McManus grounded into a fielder’s choice and two runs scored on the play after a collision on the throw from second to first. Mary Claire Wilson singled, reloading the bases. Spearman then ended the game, getting KK Madrey to ground back to her for the final out.
Liberty also loaded the bases in the bottom of the first but were unable to scratch across a run. The Lady Flames tied a season high with 11 runners left on base.
Liberty’s Katie Love drew the loss, yielding three runs on three hits, walking two and striking out four in two innings. Kaylan Yoder pitched five innings, allowing three runs on two hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.
SUNDAY: LIBERTY 4, NEW MEXICO STATE 3
In the rubber match Sunday, the Lady Flames picked up the win making a late inning comeback for the second time in three days.
Liberty took the early lead after a Savanna Jessee double who was then knocked in on a Mary Claire Wilson RBI base hit up the middle in the bottom of the second. The Aggies would flex their muscle in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs to take the 3-1 lead entering the late innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, Brooke Roberts smashed a home run over the right center field wall tying the game at 3. It was her first home run since February 25 and just third on the season. Just a couple of batters later, pinch hitter Sierra Kersten’s RBI single scored pinch runner Lilly Heidorn to give Liberty the lead.
In the top of the seventh, NMSU put the potential tying run on first base with the heart of their lineup due up. The Aggies would hit a pop up to short left field. Liberty’s KK Madrey made the sliding catch and then threw it to first base from her knees, able to double off the runner and end the game.
ON TAP
Liberty hits the road for four games this week, beginning Tuesday at Longwood with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. in Farmville. The Lady Flames then head west to take on UTEP for a three-game CUSA series beginning Friday at 8 p.m.
Current CUSA Standings
Liberty…………………17-4, 28-18
Western Kentucky…13-5, 28-16-1
NMSU…………………..11-7, 26-19
Louisiana Tech……10-8, 27-16
UTEP…………………….9-9, 23-15
Jax State……………..9-9, 20-25
Sam Houston……….5-13, 17-26
FIU………………………..5-13, 17-26
Middle Tenn………….5-16, 19-30
