Liberty’s softball team couldn’t have hoped for a better seventh-inning lineup, trailing Easton by two runs and walking it off for a 5-4 victory over the Red Rovers on April 8 at Liberty.

“I think it helped that the pitcher walked the first one (Abbie Benner), and now we see three hits in a row,” said Liberty coach Tom Kaleycik. “(Camryn) D’Amico had the green light to hit. Then I knew I had to get them in scoring position.”

Kaleycik gave the bunt sign to Mikayla Seacor, but the Hurricane center fielder went bigger and hit an RBI double.

“I definitely was nervous. I just had to have a clear head that it was a very important spot and needed to play my part. I attempted twice to bunt but couldn’t lay it down,” said Seacor, whose double flew between the shortstop and third base. “I was really excited. I was hyped up. The team was really excited, and it brought the momentum back. I’ve never been in a situation like that. It was really, really great.”

Liberty pitcher Addy Smith, who had an RBI double in the first inning, was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Leah Onia sent a first-pitch 2 RBI single to left field to give the Hurricanes the win.

“I figured, I’ve got to put the ball in play somehow. Mikayla told me the first pitch is probably the best pitch you’re gonna see, and that’s what I did in the first inning, so I figured, stick with what worked. I saw that first pitch and it was worthwhile,” said Onia. “It was interesting because, historically, I feel like I’ve had pretty good offensive games against Easton, so I was a little taken aback by [the intentional walk], but I was excited for the opportunity with the bases loaded. I saw the ball go through the third baseman and the shortstop, and I saw it go towards the outfield. I didn’t know how deep.”

The Hurricanes had been holding on to a 2-0 lead until the sixth inning when the Red Rovers scored three runs.

“Against any team in our division and any team in our league, two runs are never gonna be enough,” said Coach Kaleycik. “Addy, traditionally, has one or two innings where she’s not as sharp as the other innings, but then she gets it right back again. Today, it was the sixth, but then she shut them down, got out of the inning, and then did really well in the seventh. Overall, I couldn’t have asked her to pitch a better game.”

Hurricane shortstop Ava Tomac led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double to left field but was left stranded at second base.

“All we needed was a clean base hit. I was hoping it was the start of a big inning,” said Kaleycik, who had some important words for the ‘Canes in the seventh inning.

“We’ve been working extremely hard on our hitting because, as you saw tonight, it took till the last inning to get us going, really,” Kaleycik said. “We sprayed hits throughout the game, but we’re not getting them strung together. My message was, ‘You guys have been working too long and hard to let this game slip away. Go up, hit the way you’ve been doing in practice, how we know you can hit, and hey, you do the best you can, and that’s all we can ask.’ It was a big win. A big one.”