Softball Game Preview: Liberty Lions vs. Freedom Falcons

For the second straight game, Liberty will face off against Freedom. The Lions will head out to square off against the Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Liberty will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak.

On Tuesday, Liberty needed a bit of extra time to put away Freedom. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over the Falcons. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Kate Skinner spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Kelsie Skaggs was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabella Rice, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Liberty lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now launched at least two home runs in four consecutive matchups.

Liberty's victory was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-4. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Freedom, they moved to 7-8-1 with that loss, which also ended their six-game winning streak.

Freedom's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Liberty has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Freedom, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2 strikeouts. Will Liberty keep running through batters, or will the Falcons buck the trend? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.