RADFORD, Va. – Courtesy: Joe Carmany/Liberty Flames
Friday's winner's bracket final featured a 3:13 weather delay in the middle of the game. Once play resumed, Liberty scored four unanswered runs.
Liberty (46-12) extended its winning streak to 16 games. The Lady Flames have tied last year's team for the most wins in a single season in program history. With the win, Liberty advances to tomorrow's Big South Championship final round at noon against the winner of tonight's elimination game between Radford (35-18) and second-seeded Longwood.
All five of Liberty's hits went for extra bases. Autumn Bishop homered for the second game in a row, going 1-for-2 with three RBI. Kaitlin McFarland batted 1-for-3 with a homer, one RBI and one run scored. Alexia Taylor, Jaclyn Amader and Jasmeen Click all doubled.
For Radford, Talia Douglas batted 2-for-3, while Marissa Gagliano went 1-for-3 with a homer.
Julia DiMartino (26-7) earned the win with 4 1/3 innings of relief work during which she allowed three hits and struck out four. Starter Chase Cassady lasted 2 2/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits, walking one and striking out one.
Kayla Huffman (11-5) drew the loss, allowing four runs on five hits, with three walks and one strikeout.
During the bottom of the fifth, with Liberty trailing, 2-0, Taylor drove a one-out double to left-center. Click then doubled down the left-field line. Autumn Bishop launched a three-run homer to right center, putting Liberty ahead, 3-2.
DiMartino retired eight straight batters before allowing a one-out single to Douglas in the sixth inning. Hannah Medlam dropped a single into left center, going to second on the throw. Radford stranded runners on second and third, as DiMartino got Maggie Rowe to foul out before fanning Hunter Mundy for the third out.
McFarland blasted a solo shot down the left-field line in the bottom of the sixth, giving Liberty an insurance run.
The Lady Flames shut the door in the seventh, as DiMartino's 1-2-3 inning sent Liberty to the final.
Radford's first two batters reached in the second inning, as Medlam drew a walk and Rowe singled to left. After one out, a passed ball sent the runners to second and third. Mills then grounded to third, plating the game's first run before Marissa Yow's groundout ended the rally.
Sarah Robertson drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second. McFarland's bouncer up the middle turned into a 6-3 double play before Madison Via sent a sharp groundout to first.
Gagliano lined a one-out solo homer to right center in the third frame, doubling Radford's lead to 2-0. Following two outs, DiMartino entered the circle in relief of Cassady and gave up a single before inducing a groundout for the third out.
Hoffman walked to start the bottom of the third. After a wild pitch sent Hoffman to second, the umpires called for a weather delay which lasted over three hours. Following the delay, Click sacrificed Hoffman to third. Autumn Bishop then drew a walk, but Amber Bishop grounded to short.
Amader led off the bottom of the fourth with a standup double to left field. She went to third with two outs on McFarland's groundout. Via ended the inning by fouling out to left.
At noon tomorrow, Liberty will be making its eighth appearance in the conference tournament final, and second in a row, having last won the tournament title in 2011. The Lady Flames have won the Big South Softball Championship title twice, in 2002 and 2011.