The best season in Liberty softball history and the magical postseason run came to an end in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday night. The Lady Flames lost to No. 16 Oregon (53-8), 6-1, in the second game of the Super Regionals, dropping the series in two games.
“I’m so blessed that we’ve been a part of this,” said Liberty head coach Dot Richardson following the game. “Congratulations to Oregon softball. I know they’re super excited, and they should be. We wish them all the best in their success in the World Series.”
Liberty got off to a strong start. After escaping the top of the first without allowing a run, Savannah Woodard led off the bottom of the first with a home run off the scoreboard in right center, giving the Lady Flames their first lead of the Super Regional round. Rachel Roupe would follow that with a single before Oregon ace Lyndsey Grein settled in. After those first two batters reached, Liberty would not see another base runner until the seventh inning when the game was well in hand. Grein retired 19 Liberty batters in a row.
With Grein shining in the circle, the Ducks were able to first tie the game, then take the lead, before stretching their advantage and putting the Lady Flames away.
In the top of the second, Paige Sinicki got a hold of a ball and launched it over the fence to lead off the inning and tie the contest at one. That wasn’t all for Oregon in the second. They were able to load the bases with two outs, chasing starter Kaylan Yoder. Paige Bachman came on in relief, and she induced Kai Luschar into a hard ground ball to shortstop JaMaya Byrum who made a nice play on the ball and fired it over to first base, but Luschar beat out the throw, allowing Oregon to take the lead. Bachman and Liberty would get out of the bases loaded jam on the next batter as Paige Doerr made a highlight reel diving catch in foul territory.
The score would remain the same into the fourth when Oregon opened that inning with consecutive doubles, scoring their third run of the game. In the fifth, the Ducks put the first two batters on base. Liberty would turn to Elena Escobar. After getting a strikeout of her first batter, Emma Cox got a hold of one and launched it beyond the left field fence, as Oregon seized control of the game at 6-1. The Ducks poured it on in the seventh, knocking Escobar out of the game as Danner Allen made her postseason debut. Oregon would score seven in the inning.
Yoder made her first start since May 9 against Jacksonville State in the CUSA Tournament and her first start of the NCAA Tournament. She pitched 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and two runs while walking two and striking out one.
Grein pitched a complete game, allowing three hits and one run while striking out 10 batters in seven innings. She improves to 29-2 on the season with the win.
“I think that she was spinning the ball really well,” said Roupe of Grein. “They knew the holes in our swings. She was hitting those spots and just being effective. She’s a great pitcher, and so when she’s on, she’s on. We just didn’t make the adjustments today.”
Liberty was effective at the plate against Grein in Game 1 of the Super Regional Friday night. The Lady Flames chased her in the third inning after she gave up two hits and three walks to the 10 batters she faced while recording six outs. She did not have a strikeout against Liberty Friday night.
The Ducks reach the WCWS for the seventh time in program history and first since 2018. They’ll open play Thursday in Oklahoma City against the winner of Sunday’s deciding game three of a Super Regional between UCLA and South Carolina.
“I want to say how proud I am of Liberty softball,” said Richardson. “We are so blessed. We have broken a lot of records and made some history of our own. This is the first Super Regional for our program, and I know there will be many more.”
With the two straight losses to Oregon, Liberty lost consecutive games for the first time since early April and finish the season at 50-15 overall. The season won’t be remembered for how it ended, but instead the journey this team went on over the past several months, culminating with the two wins over No. 1 Texas A&M last week to advance to the program’s first ever Super Regional.
“It’s been fun,” Richardson said. “It’s sad to see it end for this year, but I know sometimes the end is going to fuel you for an amazing future.”
The Lady Flames finished the season with a program-record fifty wins while sweeping the Conference USA regular season and tournament championship. Coach Richardson helped lead the program to their first ever Super Regional appearance after becoming the first team in the Super Regional era to knock out the No. 1 overall seed by taking down Texas A&M.
“I’ve made the analogy (before) at the Georgia regionals (last year),” explained Richardson. “We tasted the appetizer, one out away from Supers. Then, we were able to enjoy the entree, which is to be at Supers. We were able to take down Texas A&M, that was a big thing. I think it’s hard sometimes to be able to prepare yourself for the next feat right after you’ve overcome such a momentous moment. This was another huge moment for us, and that’s how we have to learn. We’re going to be hungry to enjoy the dessert one of these years and get to the World Series.”
*pic courtesy Liberty University Athletics
