Liberty Explodes Past James Monroe for Sectional Crown

The wild roller-coaster ride that has been Class AA Region 3, Section 2 softball added one more crazy turn Saturday evening.

In a game that looked like it would be a slugfest, then a pitchers duel, was finally settled by a multi-run explosion, snapping a decade-long drought.

Trailing 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning, Liberty erupted for a nine runs for an 11-3 walk-off sectional title win over James Monroe.

The Raiders advance to the Region 3 championship series starting Monday, May 19 against Wyoming East.

"I actually got a little worried thinking we weren't going to get our bats on," Liberty head coach Mary Green said. "Right before they went out this last inning, I said, let's just get nine (runs) and end it this inning. Just trying to pump them up. They delivered. Everybody was hitting. Everybody was hitting."

Defense has been the Achilles heel for the Mavericks this year and in hindsight, the first play may have been the bad omen of the day for the visitors.

Leading 1-0 on a Bryleigh Thomas RBI-double, a dropped liner to the outfield opened the door for the home team to score twice for a 2-1 lead.

"The wheels fell of well before (the fifth-inning)," James Monroe head coach Greg Wickline said. "The wheels fell off the very first batter. You have to make the routine plays. We didn't make very many."

The next three innings were quiet with James Monroe evening the game in the third inning with some speedy base running from McKenna Wickline.

However, a crucial play in the fourth inning could have stopped a big inning for the Mavs.

With the bases loaded and one out, a ground ball to Katie Mullens at shortstop turned into a collision with the runner advancing from second base to third.

"As a fielder, I knew I had the right of way to the ball," Mullens said. "After the (collision) it was just crazy trying to figure out where to go from there."

The runner was ruled out on an obstruction call before a routine ground ball ended the James Monroe threat.

"We could have potentially scored a few runs there, but it was an obvious obstruction," Wickline said. "They know that you have to give the defensive player the ball. Why we made contact there, I don't know."

An inning later it was Thomas once again hurting the Raiders. The senior standout drilled a single for her second RBI of the game, giving the Mavs a 3-2 lead.

Unfortunately for James Monroe, the multiple errors finally took their toll in the bottom of the frame.

"I'm sure she (was) tired. We have rode her the whole year," Wickline said about his ace Thomas. "I'm not sure how many pitches she has thrown this year, but it has been a pile. She is tough kid. She fought as hard as she could. It has to be frustrating for her when the defense doesn't have her back."

"The way we played defense and not making routine plays, hitters get a look at you two extra times, but that it what we have done to her all year."

Mullens also spoke about how the extra at-bats helped the Raiders end a decade old sectional title drought.

"We have seen her a lot throughout this season, so I just think it was good that we knew how she pitched throughout the year. We were just on it today," Mullens said.

The fifth inning was the perfect storm for Liberty with the top of the line-up coming to bat.

Alyssa Scarbro and McKinlea Hill hit back-to-back singles to jump start the Raiders. When the throw back into the infield was delayed, Scarbro raced home to tie the game.

A walk and another error in the outfield scored two more runs before a single from Kanyon Green pushed the lead to 7-3.

"The last couple of innings, the bottom half started (hitting), but our top four or five are really tough," Green said. "We capitalize on mistakes. We juts had to tighten up and get the bats going. They really turned it on."

Two additional errors and a dropped third strike on a wild pitch, all set the table for Mullens who came to the plate with two runners aboard and two outs.

"Going into that at-bat, I knew those two runs would win the game, so I was just thinking base hit, honestly," Mullens explained.

Falling behind in the count, no balls and two strikes, Mullens fouled off four pitches, three in a row at one point, to make the count full at three balls and two strikes.

The junior shortstop drilled the final pitch of the game to the gap in right-center for a two-RBI double and the game winner.

The win was sweet satisfaction for the ladies from Glen Daniel.

"We have always been the team that has been looked down upon," Mullens said. "Coming into my freshman year I knew that this year we would have a really good chance of going far in the playoffs. It has been trying to carry that good attitude throughout the season."

Scarbro, Hill and Mullens combined for nine hits and five RBI.

The regional match-up against the Warriors is a best-of-three series and will open in Glen Daniel. Game two will be played in New Richmond with a deciding game, if needed, returning to Liberty High School.

Ironically, when Liberty won its last sectional crown in 2015, it was Wyoming East that eliminated them in the regional round that year.

Mullens explained what the her must do to succeed going forward. "Hitting like we did today and keeping the mistakes minimal in the field."