BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — There’s a reason Liberty has won all those softball games.
The deep and talented Flames burned down Jacksonville State’s hopes of a Conference USA championship with an 8-0 win over the Gamecocks in Saturday’s finals. The game ended after 4½ innings because of the mercy rule.
Even so, it was a week to remember for the Gamecocks (37-20), who advanced to a conference championship game for the first time since 2019. In the preseason coaches poll, the Gamecocks were picked to finish fifth.
Seeded third in the CUSA tournament, Jacksonville State beat sixth-seeded Sam Houston 11-0 and No. 2-seeded Western Kentucky 2-1 before getting a win over top-seeded Liberty 7-2 in Friday’s winners’ bracket final.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team, our seniors, for sure, Kat Carter, Hannah Buffington, Jordan Eslinger, because what they did early in the season helped prepare us for this week,” Jacksonville State coach Julie Boland said. “The team as a whole, they had a fight and a determination. They wanted to get us back on the stage, the championship stage, and they did that. So I couldn’t be more proud of them.
“They played with a lot of pride in the jersey. They played a lot of pride for our alumni and our university. So to get back here was huge for us, our program, so we could taste it, and hopefully, we learn from it.”
Saturday boiled down to a one-game, winner-take-all championship game, even though the tournament had been double elimination to that point. The final round is one game for the sake of television. CBS Sports Network broadcast the game.
The Flames, who won 47 games and took the regular-season crown by a seven-game margin, weren’t slowed by the Friday afternoon loss to the Gamecocks. They returned to the field Friday night for an elimination game and beat fourth-seeded Louisiana Tech 2-1 in 10 innings. Ace pitcher Elena Escobar threw every pitch — 163 of them — even though she appeared to be limping at one point.
After not pitching against Jacksonville State in the Friday game, she stepped into the circle Saturday and allowed only a pair of hits and no walks while striking out nine. She won tournament most valuable player honors.
“I think she’s pitcher of the year for a reason,” Boland said. “She didn’t lose any zip on the ball from yesterday. After throwing all night, she had her stuff, and it was working, and we could not make the adjustment.”
Jacksonville State started Jaliyah Holmes (9-5), who left after pitching to one batter in the third inning and trailing 3-0. MacKinley Portillo relieved and got one out before exiting with bases loaded and the Gamecocks trailing 4-0. Carter entered, and Liberty’s Savannah Woodard slugged Carter’s first pitch over the fence for a grand slam and an 8-0 lead.
Carter retired the remaining five batters, but the JSU batters couldn’t score against Escobar to avoid the mercy rule.
“Liberty came out hot on fire, revenge in their eyes, and we knew it would be a fight today,” Boland said. “They got off to a hot start, and we didn’t make the adjustments anytime during the game.”
What to know
—Ashley Phillips went 1-for-2 for Jacksonville State and was the only player who didn’t strike out. Emma Elrod was 1-for-3, and Kailey Martin reached base when she was hit by a pitch.
—Jacksonville State didn’t take home any team hardware — CUSA didn’t pony up for a runner-up trophy — but four players made the all-tournament team: Carter, Elrod, Makalyn Kyser and Amber Reed.
—Carter pitched 11⅔ innings in the tournament with a 1.79 ERA and one win and a save. Elrod was 5-for-14 with two homers and two RBIs. Makalyn Kyser was 4-for-8 with three homers, four walks and five RBIs. Reed was 5-for-13 with two doubles, a homer and seven RBIs.
—Saturday broke Kyser’s streak of games with a home run. She had four straight, which is Jax State’s longest since Taylor Beshears Sparkman homered in all four games of the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Who said
—Boland on the four players who made all-tournament: “Makalyn Kyser had a big bat for us with one swing. She helped us win against Western Kentucky. She was there. She was posed. She was in control.
“Amber Reed, she came through with some clutch hits. Kat Carter, she held us in the circle yesterday against Liberty to get us to this championship game. All season for Emma as a lead-off hitter, setting the tone set for our team, and fighting, and just coming up with big hits.
“So, I couldn’t be more proud of them. I think it takes a whole team effort. I’m glad they got to shine. I’m glad that other people saw it as well.”