The Lady Flames Softball team competed against the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Hilltoppers April 10–12, taking the first two games 3-2 and 4-0 but losing the third 6-2 to win the series and take the No. 2 seed in Conference USA (CUSA).
On Friday, the Lady Flames beat WKU 3-2 in a tightly contested matchup that came down to the final inning.
Liberty gained momentum early, scoring in the bottom of the second inning before adding two more runs in the third. Contributions came from freshman utility player Dani Lee and senior infielder Brynn McManus. Lee helped drive in key runs with a sacrifice fly in the second, and a single to the left side in the third during the early surge, giving Liberty a cushion that proved to be critical.
The game remained stagnant from the third inning until the seventh, with a defensive battle resulting in no runs for either team. WKU found its footing in the last inning with two runs scored at the top of the seventh.
As pressure mounted, Liberty leaned on its defense to hold the win. A pivotal moment came when junior outfielder Paige Doerr delivered a throw to the plate, cutting down a runner and shifting momentum back in Liberty’s favor.
Redshirt junior catcher Savannah Jessee credited her teammates for keeping the momentum going throughout the series.
“I think everybody does a good job,” Jessee said. “We move well as a unit.”
Liberty wasted no time setting the tone in the second match as sophomore utility player Alexia Carrasquillo delivered a two-run double in the first inning to ignite the offense and energize the home crowd.
Despite putting runners on base throughout the game, WKU struggled to capitalize. Liberty pitcher sophomore Gabby Mike worked efficiently through traffic, keeping the Hilltoppers off the scoreboard. Each time WKU threatened, the Lady Flames responded with timely outs to maintain control.
Redshirt freshman infielder Maci Strickland provided an additional spark in the bottom of the fifth inning with a triple to right center, allowing Doerr to run home and stretching the lead to give Liberty further breathing room. From there, the Lady Flames remained composed, using a 4-0 shutout to clinch the series.
Sunday’s final game ended in a 6-2 defeat for Liberty.
“I think the job’s never done,” Jessee said. “We definitely should have swept today. We have to fight, and no individual person can do it. We all have to do it together.”
Next, the Lady Flames return to at Kamphuis Field to face off against No. 10 Virginia Tech for a midweek on the Mountain game April 15 at 6 p.m. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Potter is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.