Gardner-Webb Drops Two to Liberty on Friday Afternoon in Lynchburg, Va.
April 16, 2010 | Softball
Lynchburg, Va. - The Gardner-Webb softball team struggled offensively in a 3-0 loss in game one and let a late lead slip away in a 7-6 extra inning loss in game two to the Liberty Lady Flames in Lynchburg, Va. on Friday afternoon.
The two losses drops Gardner-Webb to 15-27 overall and 5-8 in the Big South, while Liberty improves to 25-11 and 8-3 in conference play.
Game 1: Liberty 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Game one belonged to the two starting pitchers, as Gardner-Webb's Christine Murray and Liberty's Tiffani Smith went head to head, holding the opposing offenses at bay for most of the contest, until two home runs in the fifth by Liberty broke the scoreless tie, ran Murray from the game and helped give Liberty a 3-0 win.
The first base runner and hit of the game would not come until the bottom of the fourth, as Liberty right-fielder Jenny Law singled to right. However, after Murray hit the next Lady Flame batter to put runners on first and second with only one out, the GWU senior hurler got the next two hitters to strikeout and ground out to cause Liberty to strand two and leave the game tied at 0-0.
After Gardner-Webb went down in order in the top of the fifth, the Lady Flames found its offense, as Kaylee West led off the inning with a single to left field. Two batters and two outs later, second-baseman Cassie Hendrix sent a long fly ball over the left center field fence, a two-run home run, that gave Liberty a 2-0 lead.
The next Liberty batter J'nae Jefferson followed with a solo shot to left center to run Murray from the game, but more importantly put Liberty on top 3-0.
Gardner-Webb put its first runner on base in the top of the sixth, as freshman third-baseman Jordyn Arrowood picked up a one-out walk. After next GWU batter went down on strikes and Arrowood stole second, senior first-baseman Christa Fullwood got GWU's first hit of the game, a single to short to put runners on first and third with two outs. Yet the scoring chance was spoiled, as Liberty's Smith struck out the next Lady Bulldog hitter to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.
The Lady Bulldogs put two runners on in the top of the seventh by way of a walk and a Liberty error, yet failed to push across a run, falling to Liberty 3-0.
Gardner-Webb's Murray (8-13) suffered the loss, allowing three-runs on four hits, while striking out five Liberty hitters in 4.2 innings of work.
Liberty's Smith (14-3) picked up the complete game shutout win, as she gave up one hit, while striking out 10 GWU batters for the game.
Fullwood had the lone hit for GWU, as she was 1-3 with a single, while Arrowood and Lindsea Hutchinson each reached base with on a walk.
For Liberty offensively, Hendrix was 1-2 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored, Jefferson was 1-3 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored, while West was 2-3 with a run scored.
Game 2: Liberty 7, Gardner-Webb 6 (8)
Gardner-Webb's seniors used some clutch hitting in game two, yet it wasn't enough, as Liberty scored two runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to pick up the come from behind 7-6 win.
Unlike in game one, the Lady Bulldogs offense showed up early, as the first two hitters of the game reached base safely and were immediately driven in, as senior Mandy Ward blasted a three-run home run to center field to put Gardner-Webb up early at 3-0.
However, Gardner-Webb's lead quickly evaporated, as Liberty answered with three runs on three hits, two walks and a GWU error in the bottom of the first, allowing the home team to knot the score up at 3-3 after one inning of play.
Gardner-Webb retook the lead in the top of the fourth, as senior Ashley Whitlock drew a base-on-balls to start the inning. After Alison Coffey entered the game to pinch run for Whitlock, fellow senior Melody Harrell looked to move Coffey over to second on a sacrifice bunt. On the play, Liberty picked up a throwing error, which allowed Coffey to score all the way from first and put the Lady Bulldogs back on top at 4-3.
The Lady bulldogs increased its lead in the top of the fifth, as Harrell singled up the middle with two outs to drive in two teammates and push Gardner-Webb's lead to three at 6-3.
The two-run single by Harrell turned out to pay dividends only one inning later, as in the bottom of the fifth, Liberty's Law blasted a home run to left field to cut GWU's lead to two at 6-4.
GWU put two on in the top of the sixth on back-to-back singles from Fullwood and sophomore McKenzie Morenus, yet had the inning end quickly on a double play leaving the score at 6-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Like Gardner-Webb, Liberty put two runners on in their half of the sixth, however, GWU pitcher Cindy Boomhower got an inning ending ground out to third-base to spoil the rally and keep the score at 6-4 in favor of the visitors heading into the final inning of play.
After the Lady Bulldogs went three-up and three-down in the top of the seventh, Liberty refused to give in, as West doubled to drive in two and tie the score up at 6-6 and send the game into extra innings.
Gardner-Webb failed to score the go ahead run in the eighth, leaving the door open for the Lady Flames in which Hendrix singled to first to score Danielle Howard from third and give the home team the 7-6 win.
The win goes to Smith (15-3), as the game one starter pitched a perfect eighth, while GWU freshman Jessica Milligan (2-3) suffered the loss, allowing one run on one hit in the eighth.
At the plate for GWU, Ward was 2-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored, while Morenus was 2-4 with a run scored. Harrell was 1-3 with two RBIs, while Fullwood was 1-1 with a run scored and three walks.
For Liberty, Law was 3-4 with a home run, a double, an RBI and two runs scored, while West was 2-4 with a double and two RBIs.
The third and final game of the three-game conference weekend series will take place tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, April 17, at 1 p.m. at the Liberty Softball Field on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
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| Game 1 Box Score: Liberty 3, Gardner-Webb 0 |
| Game 2 Box Score: Liberty 7, Gardner-Webb 6 (8) |
