Back-to-back walk off wins against Cedar Rapids Kennedy gives Liberty five straight wins

On Thursday night, the Liberty Lightning hosted the Cedar Rapids Kennedy Cougars in a conference softball doubleheader.

Riding the high of three consecutive wins where they have scored double-digit runs, the Lightning's hot bats would be put to the test against the Cougars' stingy defense.

Were they able to overcome the challenge?

Here is a brief overview of how each game went:

Game One: Liberty 2, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1

Excluding a Cougars' run in the top of the first and a run for the Lightning in the bottom of the fourth inning, there was little to write home about offensively for either side.

Kennedy's pitcher Lily Knutson was great from the mound, striking out 11 batters.

However, Liberty's pitcher Kaelyn Rickels was having a good outing too, striking out three batters of her own. The defense behind her did a nice job of stopping the Cougars from capitalizing on their flurry of hits.

"We knew that their pitching was going to be really good," Lightning head coach Mike Morrison said. "I thought we did a nice job of making adjustments. Lily [Knutson] was pretty tough on us and had us kind of handcuffed there, but I think our girls did a nice job of adjusting and battling in the batters' box."

With neither team gaining much separation, the seventh inning was made all the more important.

The Cougars nearly broke the game open after loading the bases after two quick outs to start the inning.

The Lightning managed to get out of it after forcing a lineout.

When it was their turn to bat, they did the opposite of what their opponents did. Their leadoff batter Ava Tague got on base with a walk, followed by a single from Kinley Jones.

Two batters later, their leader in hits, Haley Schroeder stepped up to the plate.

She had hit a double earlier in the game and had the chance to give her team the walk-off win with two runners on.

Unfazed by the pressure, Schroeder said that she had to wait for the right opportunity.

"I was going up there thinking that I needed to find my pitch," Schroeder said. "Luckily, I had a 3-1 count, which is one of my favorite counts. I knew that she had to throw me a strike, so when I saw that fastball coming, I knew that I had to drive it and hope that it would find a gap so that it could score somebody."

That proved to be the case when she hit a ball deep into left field driving in the game-winning run.

Game Two: Liberty 4, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 3

While it took some time for runs to develop in the first game, the second game was a very different story.

After the first inning, the Lightning and Cougars had already combined for three runs, matching the run total from the first game.

Crediting some lineup adjustments for the boost in runs, Morrison said that the team made the most of those changes.

"I don't know that we squared a whole lot of balls up," Morrison said. "So, we were in a position where we had to play some small ball and move some players around. I think that we did a really nice job of that after the first game."

Kennedy struck first with an RBI single from Lilea Prahm. Liberty responded shortly after with a 2-RBI single from Ava Tague.

Kennedy then took the lead with Prahm's second RBI single of the night in the top of the third inning and an RBI single from Addy Alber.

The Lightning managed to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving fans in attendance a case of deja vu.

Just like the previous game, the teams were tied going into the seventh inning, allowing a player from either side the perfect opportunity to be the hero.

The Cougars were unable to do it, despite having two runners get on base, leaving the Lightning another chance to earn the walk-off win.

This time, it was Kelsey Kaut who answered the call, hitting an RBI double to seal the win for her team.

Now winners of five straight games, Kaut said that the team is in a much better position than where it was early in the season.

"Our confidence right now is way higher than it was at the beginning of the season," Kaut said. "We have come a long way and have really grown. We all really wanted to win tonight, so we made sure we stayed composed, even when though we were tied for most of the night."

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Liberty softball walks off Cedar Rapids Kennedy in back-to-back games