NORTH ALABAMA ROLLS INTO ASUN FINAL WITH WIN OVER LIBERTY

DELAND, Fla. -- It took 10 innings but the University of North Alabama softball team picked up its third straight upset win, knocking off  second seeded Liberty 3-1 to advance to the championship round of the 2023 ASUN Conference Softball Tournament.

The Lions, now 34-14-1, have gone 4-0 in the tournament and will take the field in the championship at noon Saturday, needing just one win to earn UNA its first-ever Division I conference championship. The Lions await either #1 Central Arkansas, #4 FGCU or Liberty in Saturday's championship finale and that opponent would have to beat the Lions twice in the championship round.

UNA led 1-0 into the sixth inning before defending champion Liberty tied it with a solo home run. UNA starter Elena Escobar, who had pitched five and a third strong innings to that point, allowing just three hits, then gave way to Maci Birdyshaw who would shutout the Flames the rest of the way.

The Lions would then get the winning runs in the top of the tenth when Felicity Frame reached on a fielder's choice, went to second on a wild pitch, Sidney Bevis singled and Georgia Land singled in both runners for a 3-1 lead.

Birdyshaw (13-6) then allowed one single in the bottom of the tenth before closing the door on the Flames. Following a 7.0 inning complete-game shutout on Thursday, Birdyshaw pushed her consecutive scoreless innings stretch to 12 straight innings, while picking up back-to-back wins over top seed Central Arkansas and second seeded Liberty. She also earned the win over FGCU on Wednesday and boasts a 3-0 tournament record.

UNA's initial run in the third inning came when Mckenzie Patterson singled, went to second on a ground-out and Bevis delivered an RBI-single.

Liberty's Rachel Roupe delivered the tying homer in the sixth.

Bevis, Hailey Jones and Taylor Brown led UNA with two hits each.

Liberty falls to 38-19 with the loss, and Flames' ace ptcher Karlie Keeney is now 25-10 on the season.

UNA is now one victory away from becoming the first #5 seed to claim the conference crown since Campbell defeated Stetson in 2008

Not only will North Alabama be trying to win the school's first Division I championship in any sport, the Lions will also be trying to win their first softball conference title since taking the Gulf South Conference crown in Division II in 2018.