COLUMBIANA OH- Crestview defeated Liberty 10-0 on Saturday as three pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Zack Davis induced a fly out to finish off the game.
Crestview got on the board in the first inning when Matthew Lindsay singled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run.
The Rebels put up four runs in the second inning. The offensive onslaught was led by Anthony Cusick and Carter Blakeman, who each had RBIs in the inning.
One bright spot for Liberty was a single in the fourth inning.
Cusick earned the victory on the mound for Crestview. The righthander lasted three innings, allowing zero hits and zero runs while striking out three. Jesse McKee and Davis entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.
The Rebels tallied 12 hits in the game. Cusick, Cayden Booth, and Matthew Strank all collected multiple hits. Strank, Booth, and Cusick each collected two hits to lead. Crestview was sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Strank had the most chances in the field with six.
*Powered By Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2391841E-F866-41F4-B8D5-9E1334332FA4.jpeg7871276Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-05-14 23:09:112022-05-14 23:09:11NO TROUBLE FOR REBELS ON SENIOR DAY
The East Palestine softball team welcomed the Liberty Leopards to town looking to ride the momentum of a win the previous night. It may have taken longer than they desired but the Bulldogs used a 3-run 5th inning to overtake Liberty 8-4 in Unity on Wednesday.
Liberty at the onset looked primed for their second consecutive win as they struck early in the 1st inning behind a Mia Parker 2 RBI double putting the Leopards out in front. The Bulldogs would bite back in the bottom half Gia Brestelli doubled and would later score on a passed ball cutting the lead to 2-1. Taylor Foster would then add an RBI single giving her squad the lead at 3-2.
The Leopards answered right away the next inning behind RBI singles from Ally Jones and Krysten Fine making the score 4-3. East Palestine pitcher Anna Yonker (7IP,11K,2H) would take over from the point. The Freshman would limit Liberty hitters to just 2 hits the rest of the way giving the Bulldogs a chance late. Yonker herself took full advantage in the bottom of the 5th coming through with an RBI single coupled with a fielding error giving the Bulldogs the late lead at 8-4.
Liberty pitcher Chloe Phleps (6IP,13K,6H), also just a Freshman, turned in a solid performance in defeat for the Leopards.
Liberty (1-3) heads home in search of redemption on Thursday as it faces GIrard. East Palestine (3-1) looks for its third straight win on Thursday hosting Western Reserve.
*Contributed By YSN’s Chris Sigler
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/F5E89463-C9F7-44F0-8CD5-483B6852CE80.jpeg626998Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-04-14 15:39:302022-04-14 15:39:30BULLDOGS LEAVE LIBERTY IN THE DUST
EAST PALESTINE, OH- Liberty’s Deidre Watson has been named 2022 Your Sports Network Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Watson led the Lady Leopards to a 23-2 record on the year, which included an MVAC Championship in the Grey Division, and a Regional Berth in the OHSAA Tournament.
Watson’s leadership did not go unnoticed by all in the Network, noting that her team had to remain focused throughout the year and drown out the outside noise in regards to positive and negative attention to fulfill their goals.
Congratulations to Coach Watson and the entire Liberty Program on a successful year, and all the accolades including the 2022 YSN Coach of the Year.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Default-Game-Day-780431.png15363072YSN Staffhttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngYSN Staff2022-03-23 00:21:062022-03-23 00:21:06WATSON NAMED 2022 YSN GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
SALEM, OH – Mooney and Liberty matched up in the Division III District Semifinal on Tuesday night. As everyone knows, possession is key and turnovers hurt even worse in tournament play. For the Leopards, who do not usually turn the ball over much, were on the other side of the turnovers Tuesday. The Cardinals were able to grab control of the game early after forcing four straight turnovers in the first quarter and capitalizing on the mistakes by Liberty. In the second quarter, the Leopards were able to get some confidence with a late scoring run that cut the deficit down to 11. Luckily for Mooney, they have some hot shooters. Rocco Turner ended the first half with a three right at the buzzer, which led to an early start for Mooney once again in the second half with a quick three. The Leopards were not able to get the speed that Mooney played at under control and ultimately, that carried Mooney to victory, 64-62.
For Mooney, Mick Hergenrother led the way with 15 points. Jack Pepperney put up 12 and Drew Pecchia added 10 for the Cardinals.
For Liberty, Rushad Chambers led the way with 13. James Davis contributed 9 points for the Leopards.
Liberty finished up their season with a 16-7 record. Congratulations to the Leopards on a great season!
Mooney will move on to the District Final on Friday, as they will take on the number 1 seeded Springfield at Salem HS. Don’t miss it on YSN!
*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/A57F7645-2B0E-4377-BFAF-D43DC7CBA6A4.jpeg12252009Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-03-02 22:01:062023-07-15 00:19:22MOONEY DEFENSE TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT
STRUTHERS OH- One of the goals of Liberty girls basketball this season was to win a district championship. After winning their first 13 games, it became more and more clear that that goal could become a reality. Their only loss of the season for the Leopards came against Brookfield. The Warriors just so happened to be the team that ended up standing in their way for a district championship on Saturday. Liberty won the season series with Brookfield by beating them in the championship game 52-39.
The Leopards were led by Aaliyah Foster who rocked the stage with 20 points. Demi Watson also shines bright scoring 17 points for Liberty.
(Gary Leininger)
Brookfiekd was paced by Audrey Reardon who finished with 12 points. Anna Reichart was also in double figures with 10. Liberty’s defense locked down on Sophia Hook who finished with 2 points.
Liberty advances to the regional semifinals against Apple Creek Waynedale. Waynedale won last year’s regional tournament in Cuyahoga Falls. Liberty will take their best shot at them Wednesday at 6:00 in Cuyahoga Falls.
Interview With Deidre Watson:
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/97E6CD26-02DB-4EFA-A881-92AA1652EA3A-scaled.jpeg16492560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-02-27 20:19:052023-07-15 00:15:41LEOPARDS SINK THEIR TEETH INTO DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP
The Liberty Lady Leopards and The Brookfield Lady Warriors, two powerhouse teams in The MVAC Gray Division.
Both had District Semi-Final games on Saturday night, in the beautiful, and historic Struthers Fieldhouse.
The Lady Leopards were up first, with a matchup against The Waterloo Lady Vikings. Waterloo were winners of The MVAC Scarlet Division, with a 20-1 season record.
The first game setup an unofficial MVAC Championship game, with the winners of The Scarlet and Gray Divisions facing off.
Liberty jumped ahead early in the first, scoring off Demi Watson nailing down triples with ferocity in the first.
Kaira English re-injured an ankle that she originally suffered against South Range in The Sectional Final. The Lady Leopards took advantage of a shortened Lady Vikings squad.
With Coach Watson utilizing subs often, she kept fresh legs on the court, and it paid off with numerous transition buckets.
All three of Liberty’s top scorers got into double digits, with Aaliyah Foster (23), Demi Watson (23) and Cianna Smith (10) contributing 56 points of offense on 23 of 40 (58%) shooting.
The Lady Vikings incredible season came to an end, with a Liberty 62-33 victory.
Brookfield squared off with a red hot Ursuline Lady Irish to follow up. The Lady Warriors, fueled by a District Championship goal, were firing on all cylinders in the first.
The Lady Irish, coming off an exciting win over United, were getting open looks on The Lady Warriors in the first half. However, a lid was being placed on the bucket, as Brookfield started clamping down.
Sophomore Lily Scott, led Ursuline on the comeback in the second half, scoring 21 points on the evening, with a majority of her points coming in the second half.
The steam ran out, as Brookfield used balanced scoring on Ursuline. With Audrey Reardon (19), Sophia Hook (14) and Cailey Wellman (11) combining for 44 points on 16 of 31 (52%) shooting.
Hook also grabbed 11 rebounds to contribute to her team’s 41 total boards on the night, leading Brookfield to the 57-41 victory over Ursuline. M
(Mahoning Valley Sports)
This sets up round 3 between MVAC conference opponents, with Liberty and Brookfield squaring off Saturday, February 26th at 7 p.m.
Round 1 saw The Lady Leopards defeat Brookfield 56-54, with Aaliyah Foster winning it for Liberty.
The 2nd Round Saw Brookfield hand Liberty their only defeat of the season with The Lady Warriors winning it 53-46.
That game will be found LIVE, this Saturday, on Ysnlive.com!
Interview With Ken Forsythe:
Interview With Deidre Watson:
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7C7BC723-1BC4-44A2-ABD0-7E02300DF9F8-scaled.jpeg13782560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-02-26 18:16:582023-07-15 00:14:37LEOPARDS AND WARRIORS ALL SET FOR ROUND THREE
LIBERTY OH- Oh boy is it a good time to be a basketball fan in Liberty. On the girls side, you have a MVAC Champion. On the boys side a very great team, that is sitting 2nd in the MVAC, with two hard losses to Campbell. That’s not lessening the excitement for the team however, as you can feel the energy in the air every time you go into the Leopard’s gym.
Liberty head coach Levon Lamb had the chance to come on to YSN’s Running Point this week to talk about his team’s season. He talks with Ty Bartell, and Anthony Hartwig about his leaders on the floor, putting Liberty back on the map, and so much more. Don’t miss episode 1 of Coach’s Corner with Levon Lamb.
Presented By
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CC0BA47D-FEA2-4053-B117-D1E8046F1DC8.png21602160Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-02-13 04:04:022023-07-14 23:55:21LIBERTY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 1) WITH LEVON LAMB
CAMPBELL OH- A big game inside The MVAC Gray Division took place on Tuesday night. #1 Campbell-Memorial Red Devils hosted #5 Liberty for their second matchup with The Leopards this year.
The first time these two squared off was back on January 11th. The Red Devils snuck away with a road victory that day 61-59.
However, other than LaBrae, Liberty was the only conference team to challenge Campbell this year. Going into Tuesday night, much of the same was expected in round two of Liberty vs. Campbell.
Both teams started off strong defensively, with points being at a premium in the first quarter. Campbell took a lead late in the first quarter, and extended it to 15-11 with a Deshaun Will buzzer-beater three to end the 1st.
The lead Campbell had was one that they held throughout the first half. Liberty never faltered, staying within striking distance of The Red Devils at all times. A Jameer Weaver bucket to beat the halftime buzzer extended The Devils lead to ten points 34-24 at halftime.
The Leopards came out of the third quarter with a fury. Backed by some impressive scoring by senior D’Andre Venters. Including some great passing by Venters, he was a spark plug to start the second half for Liberty.
Liberty outscored Campbell 23-10 in the third to take a 47-44 lead over The Red Devils after three. The spark ran out of gas however, as The Leopards only scored 10 points in the fourth to flip the script, as Campbell won the fourth quarter 23-10 and won the game 67-57.
Kevin Moore had another 20+ point performance as he continues to inch his way to the 1000 point milestone. D’Andre Venters shined for Liberty, scoring 23 points on the night, as he haunted The Red Devil defense.
Campbell had balanced scoring on the night, with all five starters contributing eight or more points of offense. In all those contributions, it was Xavion Leonards stat line that stood out the most!
Contributing in multiple areas of the game, Leonard’s 16 points were second highest on the team for the night. The 5 assists and 4 blocks lead the team, while 7 rebounds were tied for the team lead with Kevin Moore.
Being present in the five major stat categories in basketball was more than enough to earn Xavion Leonard YSNs Player of The Game!
The win for Campbell (18-1) gives them a perfect 11-0 record in the conference. For Liberty (13-5) they will fall to 9-2 in conference play. The win for The Red Devils leaves them just one win away from at least a shar of The MVAC Gray Crown!
#5 Liberty (13-5) will host Champion (3-15) on Thursday, February 10th.
#1 Campbell (18-1) will play their final road game of the regular season, as they travel to Newton Falls (10-7) on Friday, February 11th in their first battle with The Tigers.
*Contributed By YSN’s Ty Bartell
Postgame Interview With Xavion Leonard:
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CD91FAA5-968A-4A69-8466-9C608BDE498D.jpeg11521762Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-02-10 04:52:202023-07-14 23:52:54CAMPBELL ONE WIN AWAY FROM CONFERENCE CROWN
LIBERTY, OH – The Liberty Lady Leopards were able to get their first outright Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference championship in program history, and their first league title since 2011 with a big win over Champion, Monday night.
Both teams traded early runs in the first quarter, but eventually Liberty would go up by 10 at half. Champion was on fire from three in the second half to help them fight back, knowing a share of the conference championship was on the line.
Champion came out hot in the fourth, as they were able to cut Liberty’s lead to one, but Liberty’s Kylee Thomas was able to knock down a huge three to keep Champion away. Aaliyah Foster was able to get a few late baskets to help Liberty put the game away, 59-51.
For Liberty, Aaliyah Foster led the way with 13 points. Cianna Smith added 10. Tiana Weatherly put up 9, and Gianna Micheline finished with 8.
For Champion, Isabella Meyer led the way with a game-high 22 points. Lorinda Dodrill added 12.
Liberty will be back in action on Wednesday, as they will travel to Campbell. Champion will also be back in action Wednesday on the road, as they will travel to Crestview. Don’t miss it on YSN!
BROOKFIELD, OH – The Liberty Leopards went into Brookfield Tuesday looking for their tenth win of the season against the Warriors. Liberty got all the scoring they needed to get ahead of Brookfield as they had 4 players finish in double figures in points. Brookfield had a hard fight back in the game, as Liberty’s James Davis took over to lead the Leopards to a dominating win, 88-68.
For Liberty, Davis led all scorers with 31 points. D’Andre Venters added 19 points, Kalan Townsend contributed 14 and Rushad Chambers put up 10 on the night
For Brookfield, Isaiah Jones and Donovan Pawlowski led the way with 18 points apiece. Josh Solida added 15 points on the night.
Liberty will be back in action on Friday, as they will host Newton Falls. Brookfield will also be back in action on Friday, as they will travel to Crestview. Don’t miss it on YSN!
*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DE8E0C11-8893-436F-B5C8-2F4664C99170.jpeg14302302Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-26 22:35:432023-07-14 23:41:59LEOPARDS OFFENSE TOO MUCH FOR BROOKFIELD
