Liberty baseball is in Jacksonville, Florida where the Flames are seeking a second consecutiver ASUN conference championship. Liberty advanced to the final four of the championship following the team’s sweep of Bellarmine in the best of three series at Liberty Baseball Stadium last weekend. The No. 1 seed in the North Division Liberty will join No. 2 seed in the North Kennesaw State, No. 2 seed in the South North Florida, and No. 4 seed in the South Jacksonville for a double elimination tournament this weekend.
We will be providing updates throughout the weekend on all the action in Jacksonville, so check back here for the updates over the next few days.
Thursday, Day One, May 27, 2021
#4S Jacksonville 2, #1N Liberty 1
The Dolphins keep their magical run alive as the 4th seed in the South Division comes through with a huge upset of the Liberty Flames. Jacksonville had won just three conference games in 18 tries during the regular season, but they have now won three out of their last four in the ASUN Tournament, all against one seeds, first defeating the #1 seed in the South in FGCU in a best of three series last weekend.
Jacksonville’s first three batters provided all the scoring they would need on the afternoon in what turned out to be a pitcher’s duel. The Dolphins began the game against Liberty starter Dylan Cumming with a leadoff walk, a triple, and a single to score two runs in the top of the first inning. The Flames would tack on their lone run of the contest in the bottom of the first thanks to two Jacksonville errors.
Tyler Santana pitched eight innings of nearly flawless baseball for JU. He allowed just one run, unearned, on three hits with five strikeouts. Cumming finished the game with six innings pitched, allowing two runs on four hits.
It looked like the Flames had something going in the bottom of the ninth with runners on first and third and just one out as first baseman Logan Mathieu stepped into the batter’s box. That was before disaster struck as someone must have missed a signal. It appeared that the suicide squeeze was on but Mathieu pulled back on his bunt attempt and Cam Locklear was then picked off at third. Mathieu would then pop out in foul territory to finish the game.
#2S North Florida 6, #2N Kennesaw State 5
It was a back and forth affair between the Ospreys and the Owls. UNF took the early 3-0 lead before Kennesaw State responded with a four-run sixth inning to claim the lead at 4-3. North Florida quick responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the sixth to regain the lead at 5-4. The lead would extend to 6-4 before KSU tacked on a run in the 9th but it wasn’t enough as the Ospreys advanced to the winner’s bracket. UNF belted three home runs in the win
Friday, Day Two, May 28, 2021
Game 3: #1N Liberty 6, #2N Kennesaw State 0
After struggling to score just one run on four hits Thursday, Liberty’s bats came alive against the Owls, scoring five runs in the first three innings capped by a three-run blast over the left center field fence by Cam Locklear. That would be all the insurance ASUN Pitcher of the Year Trevor DeLaite would need. The senior lefty pitched his third complete game in as many tries against the Owls, picking up the shutout while striking out seven, allowing six hits, and not allowing a walk.
Logan Mathieu would add another run for the Flames in the bottom of the sixth inning as his team leading 13th home run of the season gave Liberty a 6-0 lead.
With ASUN Freshman of the Year Trey Gibson unlikely to pitch this weekend as he continues to fight through arm soreness, It will be interesting to see how Scott Jackson approaches the rest of this tournament with his pitching staff beginning with tonight’s game at 7pm.
Game 4: #4S Jacksonville 8, #2S North Florida 5 (11 innings)
Abraham Sequera had two home runs, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning as the Ospreys advanced to Saturday’s championship. Sequera’s second shot came in the fifth inning, a solo shot, that was part of a two-run frame for the host North Florida. Not to be outdone, JU’s Duncan Hunter hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to keep the Dolphins in the contest entering the final stretch.
UNF lefty Austin Bogart kept the Dolphins at bay until the seventh. Bogart pitched 7.2 innings allowing nine hits and four runs. He departed in the eight with a runner on base and two outs. That runner would score on a wild pitch as Jacksonville tied the game at four.
The game would head to extra innings, tied at four, before Jacksonville took the lead in the top of the 11th inning on a two-run single by Jackson Grabsky. It was part of a four run inning as the Dolphins keep their magical run alive and they must be defeated twice on Saturday.
Game 5: #1N Liberty 5, #2S North Florida 2
The Flames got their second win of the day despite a power outage that delayed the game about 25 minutes. Jaylen Guy and Logan Mathieu delivered with two-out RBIs in the second and fourth inning, as Liberty took a 3-1 lead into the fifth. LU would tack another run on in the fifth thanks to a double by Aaron Anderson that scored Gray Betts from first. Cam Locklear, who has been swinging a hot bat in Jacksonville, drove in another run as the Flames took a commanding 5-1 lead into the sixth.
Mason Meyer, making his first start since March 27, advanced into his seventh inning for the first time all season. The Ospreys picked up a run on the Liberty lefty in the frame and had runners on second and third with two outs when the lights suddenly went out. It took a few minutes to get things settled as much of the city of Jacksonville dealt with power outages. When the lights were back on, Mason Fluharty took over for Meyer who finished with 6.2 innings pitched, two runs allowed on seven hits while striking out nine.
Saturday, Day Three, May 29, 2021
Game 6: #4S Jacksonville 7, #1N Liberty 3
Jacksonville’s magical run continues right into Saturday and the championship as the Dolphins win three straight on campus at North Florida and secure the ASUN championship and automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. JU had won just three conference games during the entire regular season, but they have won five out of their last six with two wins each coming against the South’s 1 seed FGCU and the North’s 1 seed Liberty. Impressive stretch of baseball for Jacksonville.
Liberty opened the game with a run in the top of the first, but Jacksonville quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run shot to take the lead, one they wouldn’t relinquish. Mason Hand got the start for the Flames, but he was unable to get out of the second inning as Scott Jackson had to turn to David Erickson. He would go 4.2 innings without allowing a run, keeping the Flames down just one run.
The Dolphins would explode in the seventh inning, scoring five runs to open up a commanding 7-1 lead. Liberty loaded the bases in the top of the eighth with no outs, but were unable to scratch a run across as the brief glimmer of hope was slammed shut. The Flames would again load the bases with nobody out in the ninth, scoring two before the Dolphins were able to close the door.
The Flames will now have to sweat out Monday’s selection show and hope for an at-large to NCAA Regional play. Entering this weekend, Liberty had a very compelling case, but the two losses to Jacksonville this week damage the resume considerably. It will be a close call. The Division I NCAA Tournament field will be officially unveiled on Monday, May 31 at noon eastern on ESPN2.
*all photos courtesy ASUN Sports
