By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — May 24, 2005 – The Liberty softball team finished its 2005 season with two non-league victories on Friday night at Liberty Elementary School.
In the first game, Liberty defeated Tri-Valley, 6-5, in nine innings. In the nightcap, the Lady Indians outslugged The Family School by a final score of 28-14.
After battling for seven regulation innings, the Lady Indians and Lady Bears needed extra frames to decide the outcome of their contest.
In the top of the eighth, T-V (11-9) looked as though it might take the lead when the first two batters of the inning, Heather McArthur and Brittany McNamara, hit back-to-back singles. But Liberty quickly recorded three outs to end the Lady Bears’ scoring threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, Trina Williams beat out a bunt to give the Lady Indians a baserunner with no outs. But T-V pitcher Lindsay Nuzzo got two fly outs and a strikeout to keep Williams on first base and the score knotted at 5-5.
Liberty scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Brittany Strysko led off with a single to right field and promptly stole second base.
Strysko advanced to third base on a passed ball. Moments later, she sprinted down the base line and crossed home plate on another passed ball to give Liberty a dramatic 6-5 victory.
Williams had two hits in the game and Melchick had three hits and an RBI.
Kristen Pomeroy had three hits to lead the Lady Bears’ offense.
The second game of the evening was filled with offense as the Lady Indians and Family School Lady Falcons combined to score 42 runs.
Because the game was originally scheduled to be held earlier this season at The Family School but was rained out, Liberty was the “visiting” team and therefore batted first.
The Lady Indians made the most of that opportunity, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Strysko hit a solo home run and Jackie Katzenberger and Amber Miller each had an RBI single.
But the Lady Falcons answered with five runs in the bottom of the first. Julia Hoonhout ripped an RBI single to right field and Jessica Fairweather and Elizabeth Stamper each had an RBI groundout in the frame.
With one out and two teammates on base in the top of the second, Strysko blasted the ball into left field. She then sprinted around the bases for her second home run of the game, this one a three-run round-tripper.
Later in the inning, Katzenberger scored on a wild pitch to give Liberty an 8-5 advantage.
However, The Family School tied the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the second. Fairweather hit a two-run single and later scored on a groundout by Rachel Donovan.
Over the final five innings, Liberty outscored The Family School by a 20 to 6 margin and recorded the 28-14 victory.
Strysko finished the contest with nine RBIs. Melchick had five hits and three RBIs, while Jessica Franke had five hits and two RBIs.
Liberty finished its season with a 10-12 record and The Family School ended the season with a 3-12 record.