Liberty University
1-5
Maryland
2-3
Keeney Tosses No-Hitter, Liberty Run-Rules Maryland 9-0
2/18/2022 4:06:26 PM | Softball
Liberty sophomore tossed the first Liberty no-hitter over a Power Five team in program history during a five-inning 9-0 Lady Flames win over Maryland, Friday at Leesburg Sports Complex.
The Lady Flames (1-5) earned their first win of the season, opening THE Spring Games in grand fashion by holding Maryland (2-3) hitless.
Prior to today, Liberty had never run-ruled a Big Ten opponent and had never no-hit a Power Five team. Keeney was masterful, allowing just three walks, striking out three and facing just 18 batters to earn the 20th no-hitter in Liberty’s NCAA Division I history (since 1994).
Scoring Summary
Liberty – 1st INNING – Hudson reaches on an error, Howard scores, 1-0
Liberty – 1st INNING – Griffin reaches on an error, Hudson scores, 2-0
Liberty – 1st INNING – Keeney reaches on fielder’s choice, Allan scores on throwing error, 3-0
Liberty – 2nd INNING – Allan reaches on an error, Canetto and Craine score, Hudson advances, 5-0
Liberty – 2nd INNING – Griffin homers, Allan and Hudson score, 8-0
Liberty – 4th INNING – Hudson singles to right, Canetto scores on throwing error, 9-0
Notable Numbers
- The Lady Flames scored nine runs on six hits, committing one error. Meanwhile, the Terrapins recorded five errors, three of which came in the first inning.
- Keeney (1-2) tossed her sixth career shutout and first no-hitter as a Lady Flame. She allowed just three baserunners, on three walks.
- Courtney Wyche (1-1) drew the loss, allowing eight runs, three earned on four hits, striking out two and walking one in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
- Six different Lady Flames had one hit each, and Kara Canetto, Caroline Hudson and Lou Allan all scored two runs. Denay Griffin had the big hit of the game, a three-run homer in the second. Canetto stole two bases.
Turning Point
- Liberty jumped ahead in the first inning, scoring three runs on two hits while capitalizing on three errors.
- The Lady Flames broke the game wide open in the second, as Griffin capped a five-run inning with a three-run homer to center.
- Keeney worked efficiently, facing just three over the minimum. A one-out walk in the fourth was erased on an inning-ending double play, and then Keeney pitched a 1-2-3 fifth.
Beyond the Box Score
- Keeney is the first Lady Flame to throw a no-hitter since March 6, 2020, when current teammate Megan Johnson pitched a five-inning perfect game against Texas Southern in Austin, Texas.
- Griffin hit her sixth career homer and first of the season.
- Liberty now leads Maryland in the all-time series, 3-2. The Lady Flame won the last meeting, 5-0, on Feb. 18, 2000 in Chapel Hill, N.C. It was Liberty’s season opener.
- Today was the third all-time coaching meeting between Liberty head coach Dot Richardson and Maryland head coach Larissa Anderson. Richardson’s Lady Flames topped Montgomery’s team twice in 2016, winning 5-1 at Louisiana Tech on Feb. 26 before posting an 11-6, eight-inning win over the Lady Techsters on March 4, 2016 in Baton Rouge, La.
- Maryland is the third of six Big Ten teams on Liberty’s 2022 schedule. The Lady Flames are now 8-13 all-time against Big Ten opponents, including 5-4 under current head coach Dot Richardson and 1-2 this season.
[gallery display="slider" wpmf_folder_id="1421" ids="416337,416336,416334,416331,416328,416327,416325,416324,416321,416318,416315,416312,416309,416306,416303,416300,416297,416294,416291,416288,416285,416282,416279,416276,416273,416271,416270,416268,416265,416264,416261,416258,416256,416253"]
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Keeney, Karlie (1-2)
L: Wyche, C (1-1)
Base Running:
SB: McFarland, J 1
Batting:
HR: Griffin, Denay 1
RBI: Griffin, Denay 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Canetto, Kara 2 ; Howard, Devyn 1 ; Hudson, Caroline 2 ; Allan, Lou 2 ; Griffin, Denay 1 ; Craine, Rachel 1
SB: Canetto, Kara 2
CS: Barrett, Raigan 1
HBP: Craine, Rachel 1
