Liberty extended their losing streak to five on Friday, dropping them down to 1-6. They lost 23-13 to the East Palestine Bulldogs. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Leopards of the 8-4 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2022.
Olivia Dixon stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Keeley Fortsch, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
As for East Palestine, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-7. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
On East Palestine's side, Kennedy Andre made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and 11 unearned) runs off nine hits. Andre was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2025.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Destiney Burtyk, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and five RBI. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alivia Magness, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Liberty didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, an 11-0 defeat against LaBrae on the 20th. As for East Palestine, they have also already played their next contest, a 10-4 victory against Leetonia on the 20th.
