Liberty Defeats Marist in NCAA Softball Championship Opener

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Liberty University opened its campaign in the NCAA Softball Championship’s Bryan-College Station Regional with a decisive 10-5 win against Marist College on Friday afternoon. This victory marks Liberty’s fifth consecutive win over the Red Foxes, improving their all-time record against the team to 5-0.

The Lady Flames’ head coach, Dot Richardson, expressed her excitement after the game. “What a game! Excited to be a part of it, to get the first game underway and under our belts. What a hitting performance by Marist, as well. You can see why they are second in the nation in home runs, just delivering when they needed it,” she said.

Liberty’s victory snapped Marist’s impressive 17-game winning streak, but the Red Foxes remain in the double-elimination tournament format. They will play the loser of the match between Texas A&M and Saint Francis on Saturday.

The Flames capitalized on an early error by Marist’s first baseman, scoring four unearned runs, including a three-run homer by Brynn McManus. Marist responded with a three-run homer from their star player, Miah McDonald, closing the gap to 5-3.

Liberty quickly retook control when shortstop Savannah Whatley hit a triple and later scored on a single from Savannah Woodard. Paige Doerr then cleared the bases with a double, pushing the score to 8-3.

Despite the setback, Marist put together a rally in the sixth inning with three singles, loading the bases. Liberty’s starting pitcher, Elena Escobar, managed to escape the threat with two outs. However, she struggled in the seventh, surrendering another home run to McDonald, which made the score 10-5 before Liberty secured the win with relief from Paige Bachman.

Elena Escobar, recognized as CUSA Pitcher of the Year, recorded the victory, bringing her season record to 23-3, despite allowing five runs, the most she has given up in a single game this season. Woodard led Liberty with three hits, while McManus contributed significantly as well, combining for five RBIs.

The next games in the regional tournament will feature the Flames against Texas A&M and Marist against Saint Francis later today.