Big inning lifts Hawks to title

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

The Liberty Hawks softball team is all smiles while celebrating with the Div. III Central Section Championship plaque after a 12-6 victory over Pioneer Valley on Friday. 

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FRESNO — The Liberty Hawks softball team earned the Div. III Central Section championship with an exclamation mark eight-run fifth inning for a 12-6 victory Friday night. 

The fifth-seeded Hawks sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth inning. They only had two hits, but drew six walks, including a stretch of watching 16 of 18 pitches go by for a ball, and took advantage of three errors for the eight-run inning right after Pioneer Valley cut the lead to one. 

Seventh-seeded Pioneer Valley wasn’t done, though. They scored three runs in the top of the seventh before pitcher Macie Webster got a fly ball to left and Xaiya Castaneda came in to make the catch and start the celebration.