Liberty Sweeps Doubleheader from Camels, Earns 5-4 Victory in Nightcap
4/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty earned a doubleheader sweep on Friday, edging Campbell, 5-4, in game two at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
With the win, Liberty (23-21, 10-4 Big South) clinches its fourth conference series victory so far this season. The Lady Flames have won seven straight conference home games, dating to last season. This is also the first time since 2009-11 that Liberty has posted 10 or more conference wins in back-to-back seasons. Campbell falls to 19-24, 5-9 in Big South play following its fourth straight setback.
Deidra See batted 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI for the Lady Flames, while Alexia Taylor hit 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Tori Zavodny went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored.
Bailey Bjorson went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Taesha Dubiose and Melissa Tullar both recorded one double.
Julia DiMartino (11-9) earned her second win on the day, allowing one run on two hits, striking out three and walking two in three innings pitched. DiMartino's 11 wins are the most by a Liberty freshman since Katrina Johnson's 11 wins in 2010. Chase Cassady allowed three runs on six hits, with six strikeouts and one walk in four innings of work.
Courtney Roberts (7-8) went the distance, yielding five runs, three earned, on seven hits, striking out four and walking two.
As was the case in game one, the Lady Flames struck during the first inning of game two. Zavodny drew a leadoff walk and stole second, before scoring on a double by Taylor. See followed with a two-out RBI double to left-center, making it 2-0.
Tullar led off the second with a double to left field, but was left there as Cassady struck out the side.
McCoy drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second, moving to second base on a sacrifice bunt. A two-out single by Zavodny put runners on the corners before Click hit an RBI single on the infield.
Campbell narrowed the gap to 3-1 with a third-inning tally. Bjorson hit a leadoff single, before later scoring on a double by Duboise. A popout and groundout ended the threat.
The Camels drew even at 3-3, staging a rally in the top of the fourth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Bjorson sent a two-run single to right center, knotting the game at 3-all.
DiMartino came on in relief of Cassady to start the fifth. After one out, Katie Baker hit a high drive to the wall in left. However, Liberty's Zavodny made a leaping catch, saving a potential extra-base hit.
After Roberts retired seven straight Liberty batters, the Lady Flames capitalized on two Campbell errors in the bottom of the fifth. Zavodny and Click both reached on errors to start the innings. An infield single by Taylor loaded the bases with nobody out. See came through with a one-out, two-run single, sending Liberty ahead, 5-3. Roberts escaped further damage, striking out Jessica Cicerchia with the bases loaded and two outs.
The visitors put runners on second and third with one out during the sixth inning. DiMartino then fanned Bjorson and Cierra Harris, preserving the two-run cushion.
McCollum trimmed the deficit to 5-4 when she hit a two-out solo shot high over the fence in left. The Liberty right-hander then got Tullar on a comebacker to the mound, sealing the win.
The Lady Flames and Camels return to Liberty Softball Stadium to complete the series tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
