Liberty Set for Midweek Matchup at No. 12 Virginia Tech
3/27/2023 4:02:35 PM | Softball
• Liberty (18-12, 4-2 ASUN) steps outside of conference play for a Tuesday game at No. 19 Virginia Tech (25-6, 8-1 ACC) at 6 p.m. at Tech Softball Park.
Tech Softball Park
Blacksburg, Va.
Tuesday, March 28
Liberty at Virginia Tech – 6 p.m. Live Stats | Live Video (ACC Network Xtra)
• Liberty is in search of its first win over a Top 25 team on the season, as the Lady Flames have gone 0-7
against nationally-ranked opponents in 2023. That includes one-run losses to No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2
UCLA and an extra-innings setback to No. 16 Duke, Feb. 10.
• Virginia Tech won a pair of high-scoring games against Liberty last year, winning 8-1 in Lynchburg on April 12 before winning a weather-shortened six-inning 13-9 decision on May 3 in Blacksburg. The second meeting saw Mary Claire Wilson of Liberty hit two homers, including a grand slam, and set a program record for RBI against a Division I opponent with seven runs driven in.
• Current Liberty Associate Head Coach Kasey Fagan and Assistant Coach Sami Fagan will coach against their youngest sister, Cameron Fagan, who is a junior infielder and two-time NFCA All-Region first team selection.
• Liberty is coming off of a 2-3 week, including its first ASUN series loss in nearly two full years. The Lady Flames saw their 15-game winning streak snapped last Tuesday night at No. 14 Duke, but responded with a 5-1 win at North Carolina on Wednesday. Liberty was 39-1 in its last 40 ASUN regular-season games before falling twice to FGCU (1-0, 5-0) on Saturday. Karlie Keeney then one-hit the Eagles on Sunday to salvage game three, 3-0.
• Virginia Tech leads the nation with 1.97 home runs per game. Liberty has allowed just nine home runs this season (0.30/game), including just one homer in its last 11 games. Additionally, Hokies starter Emma Lemley leads the nation with 178 strikeouts.
• Karlie Keeney (12-6, 1.73 ERA) is the ASUN leader with 12 victories and is tied for seventh nationally with five shutouts and is third in NCAA Division I softball with 121 2/3 innings pitched. Paige Bachman (5-5, 2.10) has thrived in an expanded role after pitching just 1 2/3 innings as a freshman last year.
• Rachel Craine (.314) leads a team that has seven batters hovering near the .300 mark. Caroline Hudson (.297) is tied for the ASUN lead with eight homers to go along with 23 RBI, while Rachel Roupe (.296) is third in the ASUN with a .480 on base percentage and has hit two grand slams. Devyn Howard (.293) is tied for second in the conference with 25 runs scored, while Megan Fortner (.292) has batted .370 with three homers and seven RBI in the last 10 games. Mary Claire Wilson bats .288, while KK Madrey (.284) is a team-leading 12-for-12 on stolen bases this season and has hit .360 in the last 10 contests.