Lady Flames take one of three from Winthrop
In Big South play, the Lady Flames drop the doubleheader against Winthrop, but win Game Three
All it took was one home run off the centerfield scoreboard for the Liberty Flames softball team to let a 1-0 game slip away against the Winthrop University Eagles on Friday afternoon.
Wound up — Ayssa DiMartino pitched two solid games for the Lady Flames. Photo credit: Kate Schoener
The opener of the three game series, played at Liberty’s softball field, featured brilliant pitching by both teams, but Lady Flames starting pitcher Alyssa DiMartino allowed a fourth-inning home run to Winthrop’s Chelsey Schoenfeldt that turned out to be the game’s only run.
“The other team had noticed the catcher was giving the changeup sign, and they yelled ‘changeup,’” DiMartino said. “I didn’t know, and they just sat right on that changeup and took it right over.”
Aside from Schoenfeldt’s blast, neither team was able to get a runner past second base all afternoon.
“Other starts, I’ve had a shaky start and I would not get comfortable until maybe like the third or fourth inning, but I seemed to settle in right in the beginning this time which is good,” DiMartino said. She threw a complete game, allowing only five hits.
“She did really well,” freshman third baseman Hanna Nichols said. “She pitched her heart out, and I wish we could have won for her because she pitched so well.”
Lady Flames right fielder Jenny Law led the team with a double and a single, and Nichols reached base twice against Winthrop’s Natalie Becker, who threw seven scoreless innings for the win.
The Lady Flames had no trouble getting runners into scoring position, but they could not scratch out a run, stranding a runner on second base in five out of seven innings. DiMartino thought a lack of aggressiveness at the plate might have caused some problems.
“I guess today we got caught watching third strikes,” DiMartino said. “Other than that, we’ve been doing better than we have been over spring break. We’ve slowly been improving even though the results don’t show it.”
Game Two
In the second game of the day, the Lady Flames lost 4-2 and their troubles seemed to stem from the plate. Lady Flames pitcher Alyssa DiMartino was solid for pitching her second game of the day, only allowing six hits. However, the Eagles were able to capitalize on each one. The two errors in the second inning did not help the Flames defense either. Dimartino ended the game with four strikeouts and one walk.
“Even though we gave up those hits and those last couple runs, I had confidence in our team that we could come back and I still found a way to compose myself, but runs happen,” DiMartino said.
The game started out with the Lady Flames scoring first in the first inning, but the Eagles came back in the second with two runs scored on two errors and two hits. The women were not able to put anything together offensively until the fifth when Katie Zavodny came in again to give Meredith Crisante her second RBI of the game.
“I thought we played extremely well in both games,” head coach Paul Wetmore said. “We did not get any hits to support ourselves … Our batters have got to have better bats, which we did, but it comes down to getting those key hits.”
Game Three
The Liberty Lady Flames softball team went from agony to jubilation in a matter of minutes in their 4-3 come from behind win over the Winthrop Eagles to avoid being swept at home.
“We fought back today,” Wetmore said. “The girls gave it everything they had today and fought right to the end. There was no quit in these girls.”
Liberty played small ball to load up the bases for senior right fielder Jenny Law with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Law answered the call with a line drive two run RBI single to left field, giving Liberty the 4-3 win.
“[The Winthrop pitcher] pitched a curve in and I saw it was a pitch I could hit, and I hit it,” Law said.
Freshman pitcher Chandler Ball pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts.
The Lady Flames continue their home stand Wednesday, April 4, when they take on UNC Greensboro in a double header at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Liberty returns to conference play against Charleston Southern for a three game series Friday, April 6, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 7, at 1 p.m.