Lady Flames Sweep Colonels, Win 15th Straight, 5-0

Liberty completed a three-game sweep of Eastern Kentucky, blanking the Colonels 5-0 in game two of a doubleheader, Thursday at Gertrude Hood Field.

The Lady Flames (16-9, 3-0 ASUN) extended their winning streak to 15 games with this week’s 3-0 sweep. Meanwhile, Eastern Kentucky falls to 15-11, 0-3 in ASUN play. This is the second year in a row in which Liberty has opened ASUN play with a three-game sweep at EKU.

Scoring Summary

Liberty – 3rd INNING – Madrey doubles to right center, Woodard scores, 1-0

Liberty – 5th INNING – Hudson doubles down left field line, Howard scores, 2-0

Liberty – 5th INNING – McManus singles up middle, Heidorn scores, 3-0

Liberty – 6th INNING – Jessee singles to right center, advances to second, Kersten scores, 4-0

Liberty – 6th INNING – Howard reaches on an error, Madrey scores, 5-0

Notable Numbers

- Liberty held a 12-4 advantage in hits. EKU committed two errors compared to one for the Lady Flames. The visitors left 10 on base, while the Colonels stranded six runners.

- Karlie Keeney (10-5) tossed her fourth shutout of the season, a four-hitter during which she walked one and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts.

- Lauren Narvaez (8-6) drew the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits, walking one and fanning two in 5 2/3 innings before giving way to Brooke Davis.

- Devyn Howard and Caroline Hudson both went 2-for-4 with a double, while Brynn McManus batted 2-for-4 with one RBI. Sierra Kersten and KK Madrey added doubles as well.

Turning Point

- Keeney held EKU’s bats at bay while the Liberty offense heated up late. Leading just 1-0 through four innings, the Lady Flames scored twice in the fifth and two more times in the sixth.

- The Liberty right-hander took it from there, setting a new career high with her ninth strikeout during a scoreless seventh to finish off the shutout.

Beyond the Box Score

- Liberty leads the all-time series against Eastern Kentucky, 12-1, including 6-0 since EKU joined the ASUN last year. The Lady Flames outscored the Colonels 21-4 this week.

- The Lady Flames are now 13-0 in games played in Kentucky under current Head Coach Dot Richardson.

- Liberty has won 24 straight ASUN regular-season away games. Its last ASUN road loss was April 28, 2019 at North Alabama. Overall, Liberty is 39-1 in its last 40 ASUN regular-season contests overall. The Lady Flames have won 13 straight ASUN series, dating to the 2021 season, including 12 3-0 sweeps during that span.

- Today, Keeney moved into a tie for fourth in program history in both career victories (51) and career shutouts (16). She tied Tiffani Smith (2008-11) in victories and tied former teammate and current volunteer assistant coach Emily Kirby (2018-22) in shutouts.

- Liberty received hits from nine different players, including pinch hitters Sierra Kersten and Savannah Jessee.

- Liberty’s current 15-game winning streak is its longest since winning 17 in a row, April 3 through May 7, 2021.

Up Next

The Lady Flames head to the Tar Heel State for a pair of games against ACC foes. On Tuesday, Liberty plays at Duke at 6 p.m., while the Lady Flames then play at North Carolina on Wednesday at 6 p.m.