Liberty University
16-5
Longwood
4-13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Liberty | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 7 | 11 | 1 |
Liberty Sweeps Season Series from Longwood, Claims Nightcap 7-2
3/9/2021 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liberty downed the visiting Longwood Lancers for the fourth time in four days, sweeping a doubleheader tonight by winning the nightcap 7-2 at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
With the wins today, Liberty (16-5) extends its winning streak to a season-high seven games, while the Lancers fall to 4-13 on the season.
Scoring Summary
Liberty – 1st INNING – Keeney singles, Bishop scores, 1-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Bishop-Riley homers, 2-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Keeney doubles, Canetto scores, 3-0
Liberty – 3rd INNING – Sweat singles, Keeney scores, 4-0
Longwood – 4th INNING – Green singles, Wayland scores, 4-1
Longwood – 4th INNING – Park walks, Green scores, 4-2
Liberty – 6th INNING – Channell homers, 5-2
Liberty – 6th INNING – Bishop homers, 6-2
Liberty – 6th INNING – Hudson singles, Canetto scores, 7-2
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Longwood 11-3, while the Lady Flames committed the game's lone error. The hosts left nine on base, while Longwood stranded four.
- Naomi Jones (2-0) struck out a career-high six batters and walked two in 3 2/3 hitless innings of relief. Jones retired each of the last 10 batters she faced. Starter Megan Johnson allowed two runs on three hits, striking out five and walking one in 3 1/3 innings.
- Longwood's Leigha Hill (1-5) gave up four runs on eight hits, walking two in three total innings pitched. Relievers Angelina Sherba and Maison Myers combined to allowed three runs on three hits.
- Kara Canetto went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Karlie Keeney batted 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and one run scored. Mary Claire Wilson batted 2-for-2, while the Lady Flames got homers from Amber Bishop-Riley (eighth of the season), Autumn Bishop (fourth) and Savanna Channell (third).
- Nia Green went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored to lead Longwood.
Turning Point
- Liberty loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first and managed just one run, on Keeney's RBI single.
- Bishop-Riley sparked a three-run third by hitting a one-out home run before Keeney and Sweat both recorded RBI hits to make it 4-0.
- The Lancers got their only scoring in the fourth, staging a one-out rally. A walk and two singles produced Longwood's first run, leading to Jones entering the circle for Johnson. Jones walked in a run to make it 4-2, but struck out Lauren Fox with two outs and the bases loaded to end Longwood's last threat.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty has won the last five meetings against the Lancers, although Longwood leads the all-time series 39-22. The Lady Flames outscored the Lancers 44-5 in four meetings this season.
- The last time Liberty defeated one opponent four times in a single season was 2019, when the Lady Flames went 4-1 against North Florida.
- Liberty's current seven-game winning streak is its longest since winning seven in a row, Feb. 23 through March 6, 2020.
- Liberty had gone 15 2/3 innings without allowing a run before Longwood scored in the fourth tonight.
- The Lady Flames have gone 19-0 in their last 19 home games against Big South opponents, with their last home loss to a Big South team coming to Longwood on April 26, 2017.
- Liberty has won each of its last 18 meetings with Big South opponents overall, a streak which started on April 14, 2018 at Radford.
- The Lady Flames have gone 26-1 in their last 27 home games overall.
- Liberty has homered in each of its last 12 games. That is the team's longest streak with at least one home run since hitting homers in a program-record 16 straight games in 2007.
- Canetto extended her hitting streak to 12 games. Her hitting streak is the longest by a Liberty player since Autumn Bishop's 13-game hitting streak from April 2-20, 2019.
- This was the sixth time in their careers that twins Amber Bishop-Riley and Autumn Bishop have homered in the same game, but none of the six instances have been back-to-back.
- Bishop-Riley is one home run shy of Jessica Moore's (2005-07) program career record of 58 career homers. She needs two homers to become the first-ever NCAA Division I softball player with five 10-homer seasons.
Up Next
Liberty will play at the Hall of Fame Classic this weekend. The Lady Flames play a doubleheader at No. 5 Oklahoma State on Friday, before taking on Kansas City and No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday at the Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. On Sunday, Liberty will play at Oklahoma.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Naomi (2-0)
L: Leigha Hill (1-5)
Batting:
RBI: Nia Green 1 ; Kelly Park 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alexis Wayland 1 ; Nia Green 1
Batting:
2B: Keeney, Karlie 1
HR: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Channell, Savannah 1
RBI: Bishop, Autumn 1 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Keeney, Karlie 2 ; Hudson, Caroline 1 ; Sweat, Emily 1 ; Channell, Savannah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bishop, Autumn 2 ; Bishop-Riley, Amber 1 ; Canetto, Kara 2 ; Keeney, Karlie 1 ; Channell, Savannah 1
SB: Via, Madison 1
