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March 3, 2006 · Greenville, N.C.
East Carolina ended Liberty’s five-game winning streak to open the season as the Pirates got some timely hitting and 13 strikeouts from pitcher Keli Harrell to pick up a 5-0 victory, Friday afternoon, to open up the Pirate Clash.
The loss marked the first of the year as Liberty opened the season with five-straight win last weekend en route to the Seahawk Classic championship hosted by UNC Wilmington, marking the first time in the history of the program that Liberty has started a season with five-consecutive wins.
The Pirates wasted little time as Erin Ledger was struck by a pitch. After advancing to second on a groundout by Angel Barrella, Ledger crossed the plate on an RBI single up the middle by Beth Nolan to give East Carolina a one-run lead.
The Pirates continued to add to their lead in the top of the second inning as Allison Monce led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Johnson. After getting two outs, Joyce Roodenburg got an RBI single to give the Pirates a 2-0 edge.
The score remained the same until the fourth inning as another two-out rally cost the Lady Flames as Jessica Potter started the rally with a single to left field, while a fielding error allowed Roodenburg to reach first. After a walk was issued to Ashley Quick, Krista Jessup cleared the bases with a double to left field plating three unearned runs and sealing the victory.
Jessica Moore was the lone bright spot on the game for the Lady Flames as the junior finished the game 3-for-3 from the plate, while Ashley Williams and Shannon McKain finished the contest 1-of-3 to account for Liberty’s five hits in the game.
Keli Harrell picked up the complete-game victory as she scattered five hits over seven innings of work, while striking out 13 batters. Terra Lowe suffered the loss as she allowed five runs, two of which were earned, in four innings of work before Sarah Ellis tossed three innings of perfect relief and striking out three batters.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
March 3, 2006 · Greenville, N.C.
For the second-straight game, the Lady Flames ran into a solid pitching performance as Liberty fell 4-1 to Binghamton to complete their first day at the Pirate Clash hosted by East Carolina.
The Bearcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Nicole Vitello opened the frame by drawing a walk. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mia Bieman, Vitello crossed the plate on an RBI single to left field by Emelie Palmcrantz to give the Pirates a one-run lead.
Binghamton added to its lead in the third inning as the Bearcats capitalized on a few Lady Flames’ errors to start off the frame as Lauren Verrusio led off the frame and reached second a two-base throwing error. After advancing to third on a pass ball, Verrusio scored on an infield groundout back to the pitcher to push Binghamton’s lead to two runs.
The score remained the same until the fifth inning as Binghamton got into the error game as a fielding error by Rose Barre allowed Beth Hensley to reach first and later scored on a wild pitch to trim the lead in half.
But the Bearcats put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth inning as Barre started a two-run inning with a single to right field and later scored on a double by Bieman, while Palmcrantz drove in Bieman with an RBI single to Binghamton up 4-1.
The Lady Flames threatened in the top of the seventh inning with a Sarah Love double and a single by Jessica Moore, but starting pitcher Katie Hansen was able to halt the attempted rally and pick up the complete-game win as she allowed one run on four hits and striking out seven batters. Sarah Swor suffered the loss as she allowed four runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings of work, while striking out four batters.
The Lady Flames return to tournament action tomorrow as they faced St. Francis (9 a.m.) and Delaware (11 a.m.) to close out pool play action at the Pirate Clash.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
March 4, 2006 · Greenville, N.C.
A solo homer by Dawn Jeffs and a two-run home run by Ashley Williams in the sixth inning propelled the Lady Flames to a 3-1 win over Delaware, Saturday afternoon, at the Pirate Clash.
Liberty finished the day splitting its two games to give the Lady Flames a 6-3 record on the season and a 1-3 mark in the tournament, earning Liberty a 9 a.m. game against Fairfield in the consolation bracket. Winner of the 9 a.m. game advances to the Consolation Championship game later on Sunday.
Neither team could muster much offense over the first five innings of action as Liberty’s Sarah Ellis and Delaware’s Carolyn Sloat were locked in an old fashion pitcher’s duel as both teams combined for just eight singles over the first five frames of the contest.
Liberty finally got to Sloat in the top of the sixth inning as Dawn Jeffs got her first homer of the year with a solo shot over the fence in right field to put the Lady Flames on the board and break the scoreless streak.
But the Lady Flames weren’t done as Beth Bennett followed with a single up the middle, while Ashley Williams connected on a two-run blast well over the fence in left field, driving in pinch runner Claire Fridey and herself to give the Lady Flames a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Hens also got their offense going in the bottom half of the inning as Michelle Plant drew a walk, stole second base and scored on a base hit back up the middle by Jessica Kozlowski to halt the possible shutout and trim Liberty’s lead back to 3-1.
Delaware continued to push in the bottom of the seventh inning as Kate Termini led off the frame with a single to centerfield, but Ellis buckled down and got and infield groundout and back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and pick up her second complete-game win of the year as she scattered six hits over seven innings of work and striking out six batters. Sloat suffered the loss as she allowed three runs on eight hits in a complete-game effort.
The Lady Flames finished the game with eight hits as Jeffs was 2-for-4 with a homer, while Williams and Jessica Leary with both 2-for-3 which includes Williams two-run round tripper.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
March 4, 2006 · Greenville, N.C.
The Lady Flames almost overcame an eight-run deficit as Liberty, which included a five-run seventh inning, but St. Francis was able to halt the rally to secure the 9-8 win over Liberty, Saturday morning, at the Pirate Clash.
The Red Flash wasted little time as St. Francis jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first inning. Kate Lancaster led off the game with a single to left field and later scored on a single to right off the bat of Kara Stroup.
Hilary McNeils followed with an RBI double to straightaway centerfield to drive in Stroup, while Nicole Waligora completed the four-run frame as her shot to left field was lost in the sun by Beth Hensley and glanced off her head for an inside the park homer. But the play cost the Lady Flames more than just two more runs as Hensley was sent to the bench for the rest of the day as she was injured on the play.
The Lady Flames got on the scoreboard on the first pitch of the bottom half of the frame as Jessica Moore got her first homer of the year with a solo shot over the fence in left centerfield to cut the lead to 4-1.
The score remained the same until the top half of the fifth inning as the Red Flash exploded for five runs on six hits, including a double by Kelly Slingwine to start the outburst, while five-consecutive hits by the first five batters in the order completed the frame to put St. Francis up 9-1 after three and half innings.
The Lady Flames slowly started to chip away at the lead as Ashley Williams led off the fourth inning with a single to left field and later scored on an RBI base hit to centerfield by Courtney Johnson, while Rachel Love and Moore led off the fifth inning with back-to-back singles and scored on a base hit up the middle by Williams to drive in both runners and cut the lead to 9-4.
Liberty continued to push in the seventh inning as Moore connected on a solo shot over the fence in left field, while four-straight two-out singles by Beth Bennett, Williams, Shannon McKain and pinch hitter Jessica Leary got the Lady Flames within one run, but starting pitcher Janelle McCoy was able to get the final out and pick up the complete-game victory.
McCoy allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits in seven innings of work, while fanning five batters. Katie Jones suffered the loss in her first career outing as she was roughed up for four runs on four hits in just 2/3 innings of work before Terra Lowe (2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) and Sarah Swor (3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO) finished off the game in relief.
Moore led the Lady Flames offensive as she recorded her seventh career multi home run game with two solo homers as she was 3-for-4 from the plate, while both Bennett and Williams were 2-for-4 with Bennett driving in two and Williams scoring twice.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
March 5, 2006 · Greenville, N.C.
The Lady Flames jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but four costly errors led to five unearned runs as Fairfield was able to rally for a 6-5 win over Liberty, Sunday morning, at the Pirate Clash.
The Lady Flames jumped out early as Liberty plated three runs in the top half of the first inning as Jessica Moore led of the frame with a walk and Dawn Jeffs followed with a double to centerfield. Two batters later, Ashley Williams connected on her second home run in as many days as the starting catcher sent one well over the fence in left center field to give Liberty an early 3-0 lead.
Fairfield tied the game in the bottom of the second inning as two errors led to three unearned runs. Shannon Logan led off the inning by drawing a lead-off walk, while Riannon Thomas followed with an infield base hit to third. Thomas was able to beat out the throw to first base, but Courtney Johnson’s throw to first was errant, allowing Thomas to go to second and Logan to score.
After another infield error off a batted ball by Cagney Ringnalda put runners at the corners, while Kristen D’Alessandro drove in both runners with a two-RBI base hit to straightaway center field, knotting the score at 3-3.
The Stags added to their lead in the fourth inning as Julia Jacoby led off with another infield base hit to shortstop, while Jacoby advanced to second on a throwing error as Moore attempted to get Jacoby at first after fielding the ball deep in the hole at short. Tara Hansen followed with a RBI single to right field to plate Jacoby and give Fairfield a 4-3 edge.
But the Lady Flames answered back as Moore was issued a free pass to start the top of the fifth inning. After Beth Bennett knocked a base hit into right field, Williams drove both players in with a two-RBI double to left field, allowing Liberty to regain the lead.
However, a fourth fielding error cost the Lady Flames another two runs as a fly ball was dropped by Erica Rasmussen in right field, allowing pinch hitter Lisa Meringer to reach second on the two-base error. After getting two outs, the Stags strung together consecutive hits with a RBI single by Ringnalda to drive in Meringer and a RBI double by Breanne Morschauser to center field gave Fairfield the lead for good in the contest.
Ringnalda picked up the victory in relief of staring pitcher Tracy Sylvestre as Ringnalda allowed two earned runs on three hits and struck out seven in four innings of work, while Sylvestre allowed three runs on three hits as she walked five and struck out three in three innings.
Terra Lowe suffered the loss in relief of starting pitcher Sarah Swor as Lowe allowed the two unearned runs in the sixth inning, finishing with two hits in her lone inning of work, while Swor allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits in five innings.
Offensively, the Lady Flames were paced by Williams as she tied a career high with five RBI by going 2-of-4 in the game, while Jeffs was also 2-for-4 with a run scored. On the weekend, Williams finished the tournament with a .471 batting average with two doubles, two home runs, six RBI and a .941 slugging percentage.
The loss drops the Lady Flames record to 6-4 on the season as Liberty finished the Pirate Clash with a 1-4 record and in seventh place. Liberty will open up their 2006 home schedule on Tuesday when they host Mount St. Mary’s in a non-conference doubleheader at the Liberty Softball Field. First pitch of the opener is scheduled for 2 p.m.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
PAmedic wrote:ok- bad weekend. lets hope they put it behind them, and are ready for back to back DHs Tuesday and Wednesday against Mt St Mary and Gardner Webb.Hope they don't start playing bad like last year.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
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Just remember that fine academic institution,[…]
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