Lady Flames split Radford doubleheader

On an unusually cold spring Saturday afternoon, the Liberty Flames softball team hosted the Radford Highlanders in a doubleheader.

The Lady Flames lost the first leg despite a furious late game rally. Early in the game, Radford excelled to a 4-0 lead scoring two runs in the second inning and scored twice in the top of the third inning off a two-run homer.

In the bottom of the fourth, Liberty closed the gap, scoring two runs off a Meredith Crisante double. In the seventh inning, Jill Stephens slammed a solo homer over the center field fence. The 5-2 lead was reduced to a slim 5-4 margin with three outs to go, but the Lady Flames could not produce another run. The Radford defense escaped with a victory.

In the second leg of the doubleheader, the Lady Flames bats continued to stay active. Liberty scored 11 runs off of four home runs, ending the game in the fifth inning. Liberty won in an 11-2 rout. Radford began the scoring frenzy delivering a run in the top of the first. From there Liberty scored six unanswered runs before Radford scored at the top of fourth inning. Liberty players Keely McMillon, Ashley Bensinger, Kelly Strickland and Amber DePasquale contacted for home runs. Kaylee West and Jenny Law, tallied in a combined three runs batted in. Pitcher Katrina Johnson pitched five innings and allowed only two runs. Johnson’s off-speed pitch restricted Radford to just three hits.

After the doubleheader Liberty improved its record to 10-13 (1-1 BSC). The Lady Flames host the Virginia Cavaliers in a doubleheader before traveling to take on the Winthrop Eagles in a doubleheader on
April 2.