It was a staggering 2015 campaign for Danielle Liberatore that led the 5-foot-10 southpaw to a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference All-First Team, becoming the first Tech player to earn first-team accolades since Holly Thomas accomplished the feat in 2012. Liberatore finished second in the OVC in wins with 20, ERA at 2.30, and strikeouts with an eye-popping 283 in 225 2/3 innings inside the circle, a mark that put her 13th in the nation. In the postseason, the numbers were just as overwhelming with the Peotone, Ill. native carrying Tech to an OVC championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years. Liberatore pitched all 27 innings in the OVC Tournament, posting a perfect 4-0 record with a 2.07 ERA, and an impressive 41 strikeouts en route to taking home both the tournament’s MVP award as well as a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Liberatore also stamped her place in the record books in 2015 behind a trio of history-making performances. Initially setting the school record with 16 strikeouts in a win against UT Martin on Mar. 22, Liberatore also whiffed 15 in a win over Eastern Illinois on Apr. 4, and then set a new school-record with 17 punchouts in a victory over Morehead State on May 2 to become the first pitcher in program history to notch at least three 15-strikeout games in a career…let alone a season.
