Liberty routs LeGrand in preseason tourney
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Liberty’s Karsyn Bauer throws a pitch during a 19-1 victory over Madera South. She also picked up a win against LeGrand with four innings of one-hit ball to go with 10 strikeouts.
CLOVIS — The Liberty Hawks softball team picked up right where it left off from last season when they advanced to the Div. IV Central Section championship game with two early victories in the Buchanan Preseason Tournament.
After a 19-0 victory over Madera South, the Hawks had six extra-base hits to cruise to a 10-0 victory over LeGrand on Wednesday.
“We tried to keep the kids focused, stay within ourselves, do what we do and, hopefully, if it all worked out, we would get other kids opportunity to get at bats and innings on the field,” first-year head coach Keith Davis said. “I felt they did good. They did exactly what our gameplan was to hit to the opposite field on slower pitching. They stayed within themselves and did what they were supposed to do.”
The top four batters in Liberty’s line-up — Paige Chapman, Hailey Myers, Rylee Bocchini and Lauren Chapman — did a lot of damage. They combined for eight of the team’s 11 hits, drove in eight of the 10 runs and scored seven runs. Bocchini and Chapman both hit inside-the-park home runs. Myers came off the bench to go two-for-two with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Karsyn Bauer got the win on the mound. She allowed only one hit over four innings and struck out 10.
After last week’s victory over Madera, the Davis tried to keep his team on the high, rather than see a let down after an emotional victory.
“That’s the whole key is to go game-by-game. We want to live off the high and attack the next game,” he said.
Paige Chapman got the game started with a bunt single. She stole second and scored on Bocchini’s single to center. Bocchini stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on Lauren Chapman’s single for a 2-0 lead.
Liberty added two more runs in the third. With one out, Myers singled to right after a 10-pitch at-bat. After a flyout, Chapman laced a line drive to left-center field that found the fence. While Myers easily scored from first, Chapman raced around the bases for an inside-the-park, two-run home run for a 4-0 lead.
The Hawks opened the floodgates in the fourth inning. Desi Sanchez led off the inning with a triple down the right field line. She scored on Sayler Steiner’s double to left-center. Steiner scored on Katelyn Edmonson’s double to deep center.
After Paige Chapman reached on a bunt single, Myers doubled to left-center to drive in both Edmonson and Chapman.
Bocchini closed the scoring by scorching a line drive to right-center. The ball rolled to the fence. Myers scored easily and Bocchini scored without a slide for another inside-the-park home run and a 10-0 lead.
Kaley Bowe struck out two in the fifth to close out the 10-0 victory.
