Wolverines Doomed by Late Home Runs in Loss to Liberty

Sunday, February 23

Columbia, S.C.

10:00 AM

Michigan

10-3

Liberty

2-11

Michigan

Liberty

Julia Jimenez (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Doomed by Late Home Runs in Loss to Liberty

2/23/2020 1:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 8 Michigan sacrificed a four-run lead in a 6-5 walk-off defeat to Liberty in its Gamecock Invitational finale.
» The Flames scored five unanswered runs over the final three innings -- four off home runs, including a leadoff solo homer in the bottom of the seventh.
» Hannah Carson tallied a three-run homer in the third, while Julia Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a run.

Site: Columbia, S.C. (Carolina Softball Stadium)
Event: Gamecock Invitational (Day 3 of 3)
Score: Liberty 6, #8 Michigan 5
Records: U-M (10-3), LU (2-11)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 28 -- vs. Loyola Marymount (Fullerton Calif.), 1:30 p.m. PST

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan softball team sacrificed a four-run lead and was doomed by a pair of late-inning home runs as Liberty earned a 6-5 walk-off win in the Gamecock Invitational finale on Sunday morning (Feb. 23) at Carolina Softball Stadium.

Liberty first baseman Autumn Bishop knocked out home runs in the fifth and seventh innings -- the latter a leadoff solo shot that ended the game -- as the Flames scored five unanswered runs over the final three innings.

The Wolverines, who had struggled offensively in their previous three games, plated a weekend-best five runs on six hits, including three doubles and a three-run home run from sophomore catcher Hannah Carson in the third inning. Freshman second baseman Julia Jimenez went 2-for-4, while junior first baseman Lou Allan tallied an RBI single and scored two runs.

Michigan struck quickly with two runs in the top of the first. After a Jimenez double to open the game, Allan and senior designated player Abby Skvarce singled on back-to-back pitches to drive in two early runs. Liberty got one back in the home half of the first, but Carson padded the U-M lead with a two-out, three-run shot to right-center in the third -- her first home run of the season and second of her career.

The Wolverine bats went quiet in the later innings, as Liberty picked up its offense in the fifth, posting back-to-back singles before using a three-run home run with two outs to cut the Michigan lead to one at 5-4. The Flames evened the score with an RBI single in the next frame -- after a walk, groundout and wild pitch put the runner on third -- and walked off with the leadoff solo home run in the seventh.

Junior left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien (5-2) took the loss after sacrificing the walk-off home run. She entered with two outs in the sixth and allowed two hits and two walks while striking out one. Freshman Chandler Dennis earned her first collegiate start; she gave up three runs on six hits and a pair of walks with one strikeout through 4.1 innings pitched.

It was Michigan's third straight loss on the weekend and just the second win this season for Liberty, who has played 10 games against ranked opponents this season, including seven against top-10 teams.

Michigan (10-3) will head west for its annual spring break trip, kicking off the 10-day trip with a five-game appearance at the annual Judi Garman Classic next weekend in Fullerton, California. U-M will open the tournament Friday (Feb. 28) with a 1:30 p.m. PST slate against Loyola Marymount at Anderson Family Field.