Liberty Run-Rules EKU 9-1 in Game 1 of Twin Bill
3/16/2023 6:04:13 PM | Softball
The Liberty softball team defeated Eastern Kentucky 9-1 in six innings during game one of a doubleheader, Thursday at Gertrude Hood Field.
The Lady Flames (15-9, 2-0 ASUN) secured the series victory already, taking the first two games of this week’s series. Liberty has won 14 straight games dating back to Feb. 24, while Eastern Kentucky (15-10, 0-2) has lost two straight.
Scoring Summary
Liberty – 2nd INNING – Madrey reaches on error, Woodard advances, Fortner scores, 1-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Wilson walks, Fortner and Craine advance, Roupe scores, 2-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Soto flies out to right, Wilson and Fortner advance, Craine scores, 3-0
Liberty – 4th INNING – Craine reaches on error, advances to second, Roupe scores, 4-0
Liberty – 4th INNING – Fortner homers, Craine scores, 6-0
Liberty – 4th INNING – Soto singles up the middle, Wilson scores, 7-0
EKU – 4th INNING – Riley grounds out, Bowers scores, 7-1
Liberty – 5th INNING – Craine reaches on error, Roupe scores, 8-1
Liberty – 6th INNING – Madrey singles up the middle, Woodard scores, 9-1
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit EKU 6-2 for the game, while the Colonels committed four errors. The Lady Flames left 10 runners on base, while Eastern Kentucky stranded three.
- Paige Bachman (5-3) earned her fifth win of the season, allowing one run on two hits, walking one and tying her career high with seven strikeouts.
- Brooke Davis (3-3) yielded six runs (two earned) on four hits, allowing six walks in 3 2/3 innings pitched before giving way to Emma Bethel.
- Megan Fortner went 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored, while Rachel Roupe batted 1-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored. Alexis Soto batted 1-for-3 with two RBI, while Savannah Woodard drew four walks and Mary Claire Wilson received three free passes.
Turning Point
- Liberty held a 3-0 lead through three innings before breaking the game open with a four-run fourth inning that featured a two-run homer by Fortner and an RBI single from Soto, all with two outs.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty leads the all-time series against Eastern Kentucky, 11-1, including 5-0 since EKU joined the ASUN last year.
- The Lady Flames are now 12-0 in games played in Kentucky under current Head Coach Dot Richardson.
- Liberty has won 23 straight ASUN regular-season away games. Its last ASUN road loss was April 28, 2019 at North Alabama. Overall, Liberty is 38-1 in its last 39 ASUN regular-season contests overall.
- Fortner hit her 20th career home run, homering for the second game in a row. As a team, Liberty has homered in each of its last seven games.
- Liberty has scored six or more runs in each of its last eight games, its longest such streak since scoring six or more runs in eight consecutive contests, April 18-24, 2010.
- The Lady Flames’ 10 walks today were their most drawn in a game since recording a program single-game record 11 walks on March 9, 2017 against Rhode Island. Woodard’s four walks are the most by a Lady Flame this season.
- Liberty’s current 14-game winning streak is its longest since winning 14 in a row, March 19 through April 10, 2022.
Featured in photo: Alexis Soto