Lady Flames Earn 1-0, Walk-Off Win over CSU
4/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Julia DiMartino tossed an eight-inning, five-hit shutout and Deidra See hit a walk-off single to give Liberty a 1-0 victory over the visiting Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first game of a doubleheader, Saturday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
With the win, the Lady Flames improve to 25-23 on the season, including 11-5 in Big South play. Liberty is also now 3-3 in extra-inning games in 2016. Charleston Southern falls to 20-28, 8-10 in conference play entering tonight's second game.
With the game tied, 0-0, going into the bottom of the eighth, Tori Zavodny drew a leadoff walk, and a single by Sarah Robertson put runners on the corners, before See lined the game-winning single to right for a 1-0, walk-off win.
DiMartino tossed her fifth career shutout, and second this week, striking out 10 and walking two. Her five shutouts this year are the most by a Lady Flame since Tiffani Smith pitched five shutouts in 2010.
Hayley Elkins (10-20) drew the loss, allowing one run on six hits, with five strikeouts and four walks.
Robertson batted 2-for-4 for the Lady Flames, while See hit 1-for-1 with two walks and on RBI. Kassidy McCoy, Kaitlin McFarland and Alexia Taylor recorded one hit apiece, while Tori Zavodny scored the game's lone run.
CSU's Stevi Johnson went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, while Caitlyn Emberson, Amanda Matsumoto and Brittany McPherson added one hit apiece.
Liberty threatened to score during its first time up, as Taylor hit a leadoff single and See drew a walk. However, a flyout to right ended the inning.
Charleston Southern got its best scoring chance in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out. DiMartino kept the game scoreless, striking out Natalie Yonan and getting Stephanie Baro to ground out to second.
Elkins retired eight Lady Flames in a row before See drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fourth. A single by McCoy gave Liberty two baserunners with two outs, before Madi Clarke flied out to center.
Both pitchers continued to put up zeroes on the scoreboard. Robertson led off the home half of the sixth inning with a sharp single to center, before a sacrifice bunt sent her to second. A fielding error put runners on the corners. McCoy then put down a squeeze bunt, but a fine defensive play cut Robertson down at the plate, keeping the game scoreless.
After a 1-2-3 CSU seventh, Liberty's Taylor hit into an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the frame, sending the game to extra innings.
The Buccaneers got a two-out hit from Johnson in the eighth, but she was caught stealing for the third out, bringing Liberty up for the final time.
