Lady Flames Edge Delaware State, 2-1, in Home Opener
2/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, coming from behind to defeat Delaware State, 2-1, in the Lady Flames' home opener, Thursday at Liberty Softball Stadium.
The Lady Flames (6-0) have tied a program record for most consecutive wins to start a season, as the 1996 team also started 6-0. Liberty has won its last 11 games overall, dating back to the end of last season. Delaware State falls to 0-1 on the year to begin the Liberty Softball Challenge.
For the game, Liberty outhit the Hornets, 7-3. DSU committed three errors, compared to one for the Lady Flames. Liberty left eight runners on base, while Delaware State stranded three.
Chase Cassady (3-0) earned the win, allowing one run on three hits, striking out five and walking one in 5 1/3 innings. Julia DiMartino pitched the final 1 2/3 innings of hitless softball, good for her second save of the season.
Hannah Shields (0-1) gave up two unearned runs on seven hits, fanning six and walking one in the complete-game effort.
Jaclyn Amader and Taylor Hoffman both went 2-for-3 for Liberty, while Amber Bishop doubled and Autumn Bishop hit a triple. Alexia Taylor recorded her seventh career sacrifice fly, putting her in sole possession of second place in program history.
DSU's Desiree Moreno went 1-for-3 with a home run and one RBI.
Jasmine Melgoza walked to lead off the game. A sac bunt sent her to second, and she went to third on a flyout. Cassady struck out Vanessa Washington for the third out.
Autumn Bishop lined a leadoff triple inside the right-field line, and Amber Bishop then walked and stole second. Shields kept Liberty off the board with a pair of strikeouts, leaving runners on second and third to end the inning.
Khaliyah Flournory singled to begin the second inning and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. An error then put runners on the corners with one out. Jordan Casey left first base early, and Micaela Cummings grounded out, ending the threat.
Amader and Hoffman hit back-to-back two-out singles in the bottom of the second, but Autumn Bishop grounded out, keeping the game scoreless.
Delaware State broke the tie on Moreno's leadoff homer down the left field line in the top of the fourth, putting the visiting Hornets ahead, 1-0.
The fourth inning saw Amader and Hoffman single back-to-back with two outs before an Autumn Bishop groundout ended the inning.
Liberty broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Amber Bishop led off with a double. Zavodny then grounded one to short which was fielded errantly, and a throwing error allowed Bishop to reach third. Taylor then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, tying the game. Madison Via followed by laying down a squeeze bunt, scoring Bishop for a 2-1 Liberty lead. Shields then retired the next two batters.
With one out in the top of the sixth, DiMartino came on in relief of Cassady. She struck out three total batters in getting the five-out save.
The Lady Flames take on Central Michigan at 7:30 p.m. tonight to close out day one of the Liberty Softball Challenge.
