Liberty Blanks Louisiana Tech 2-0 in Series Opener

LYNCHBURG, Va. - Liberty freshman Kaylan Yoder tossed a one-hitter as the Lady Flames shut out Louisiana Tech, 2-0, on Thursday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.

Liberty and Louisiana Tech entered this series tied atop the Conference USA standings. The Lady Flames (18-14, 8-2 CUSA) now lead both the Bulldogs (23-7, 7-3) and Western Kentucky by one game.
 
Scoring Summary
Liberty – 2^nd INNING – Madrey singles up the middle, Fortner scores, 1-0
Liberty – 2^nd INNING – Byrum sacrifice bunt, Madrey scores from second, 2-0
 
Turning Point

• Yoder allowed just three baserunners in the game and faced two batters over the minimum, as Savannah Jessee caught one runner attempting to steal second.
• The Lady Flames manufactured the game's only two runs in the second inning. Megan Fortner singled before moving to second on a wild pitch. KK Madrey then hit an RBI single and stole second. Madrey raced all the way home from second on JaMaya Byrum's sacrifice bunt. 

Notable Numbers

• Liberty outhit Louisiana Tech 5-1 for the game, with the Lady Flames committing the game's lone error. The hosts left four on base while the guests stranded two.
• Kaylan Yoder (7-5) tossed a one-hit shutout, her third shutout of the season. She struck out eight and walked one.
• Allie Floyd (11-2) drew the loss, allowing two runs on five hits, walking one and striking out one.
• Megan Fortner batted 2-for-3 with one run scored, while KK Madrey went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Rachel Roupe hit her team-leading 11^th double of the season. 

Beyond the Box Score

• Liberty leads Louisiana Tech 3-0 in the all-time softball series. The Lady Flames defeated the Bulldogs in both of their previous meetings in 2016.
• Yoder has pitched the series opener in each of Liberty's four Conference USA series. In those four games, she has a 4-0 record, three shutouts and a 0.25 ERA.
• Fortner and Roupe are now tied for second on the team with 97 career runs scored. Mary Claire Wilson leads the Lady Flames' active players, having scored 107 career runs.
• Fortner (seven games), Madrey (six games) and Savannah Jessee (three games) all extended their hitting streaks, while Roupe has reached base in each of Liberty's last 10 games.
• Liberty is now 10-2 at home this season, with half of those victories coming via shutout. Five out of Liberty's six shutouts this year have come at Liberty Softball Stadium.  
• Liberty and LSU (March 3) are the only two teams to shut out Louisiana Tech this season.

Up Next
The Lady Flames and Bulldogs contest the second game of this week's series tomorrow at 4 p.m.