Bailey Liddle's physical presence on a softball field is not overwhelming.

Standing just under 6 feet tall, the Battlefield junior ace doesn't make many awkward motions while pitching or have distinctive quirks to her technique.

According to Bobcats manager Joe Schelzo, her best pitching asset is simply "precious control" as she hits her targets.

As a freshman switch hitter, Liddle mostly played small ball at the plate, opting for drag bunts over power swings. In her sophomore year, she concentrated more on her lefty stance and focused on slap hitting.

So then where did the inside-the-park grand slam and 5-strikeout performance from the rubber come from Monday night in Haymarket?

That question proved too tough for Colonial Forge as Battlefield (9-2 overall) won its last non-district game of the regular season 11-1 and entered Cedar Run play in first place, having defeated perennial rival Loudoun Valley 1-0 on April 16.

"I just decided to go with any (pitch) she went without outside," said Liddle, who hit 3-for-4 on the day and is hitting well above .500 for the season, according to Schelzo.

Senior Brittany "BC" Clendenny, a four-year starter for the team, broke open a scoreless affair in the bottom of the first inning with a single to left field scoring third baseman Shannon Black. A passed "ball four" with two outs to designated player Katherine Palmer brought in BC to give Battlefield a 2-0 lead entering the second.

In the bottom half of the inning, BHS catcher Stephanie Figgins walked, second baseman Erika McLaughlin took a pitch to the stomach and left fielder Tyler Welch also drew a base on balls, setting up Liddle with the opportunity to break the Eagles' back.

She sat on an 0-2 offering and drove it over the centerfielder's head.

While the ball bounced all the way to the fence, Schelzo waved in runner after runner, including Liddle who stood up as she stomped on home plate, her teammates pouring out of the dugout to congratulate her.

Liddle said that was her first career grand slam during a regular game (she claimed to have hit one during a scrimmage once).

"I just turned on it," said Liddle, adding that she was "just running" until she got to the plate.

Even with a pitcher swap by CF, the Bobcats kept piling on the runs in the second inning. With two outs and centerfielder Kelsie Scott and shortstop Clendenny in scoring position, Palmer delivered a 2 RBI single to left-field that put Battlefield up 8-0.

Colonial Forge managed to tack on a run of their own in the third after coming back from a two-out situation. Centerfielder Rea Schleicher clubbed a 1-2 double to deep left center field and scored on a single by second baseman Sami Anderson after the throw to the plate missed its mark.

Battlefield capitalized on another bases loaded situation in the bottom of the third when left fielder Tyler Welch scored on a fielder's choice hit by Scott before the team added insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings for relief pitcher Kelsey Cockrill.

The Bobcats may be in prime position to add at least one more banner to their collection of seven lining the center field wall on its home field despite graduating the heart of its line up from the team's run to states during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

While no player has ever hit an over-the-wall homerun at the Bobcats' park with its fences at adult male softball league distances, the team's former battery of pitcher Brittany Black and catcher Courtney Liddle both came close. There is no obvious member of the current line up that could replicate such power, but knowing how to play to the field is a huge advantage the Bobcats can exploit over visitors, as happened with the younger Liddle's grand slam Monday.

"She has the ability to fire one over their heads, especially on our field," said Schelzo.