The Liberty Flames dropped their midweek contest, at home, to the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday, but the Flames would bounce back with a series win at ASUN East Division leader Kennesaw State. Liberty nearly pulled off the series sweep before blowing a 5-1 lead in the third and final game against the Owls.

After a mid-season swoon, it appears the Flames have gotten back on track. In the past two weeks, in very critical ASUN matches, Liberty went 5-1 against Florida Gulf Coast and KSU. With that, the Flames have pulled past FGCU and within two games of Kennesaw State in second place at the midway point of the conference season.

TUESDAY: NO. 21 VIRGINIA TECH 10, LIBERTY 6

The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning when the Hokies broke out with four runs to take the early lead. The Flames would quickly respond with four runs of their own in the fifth inning, capped by a Cameron Foster double that scored Stephen Hill and Three Hillier.

In the bottom of the sixth, with the score still tied at 4, Aaron Anderson doubled with two outs. Three Hillier followed with a single to left field, and Anderson tried to score on the hit but was thrown out at the plate to keep the game tied. Virginia Tech would seize the momentum from that point, with two home runs in the 7th as they scored six runs in the final three innings.

Logan Mathieu had three hits in the game, including a home run in the ninth, as he finished the game with three RBIs.

THURSDAY: LIBERTY 9, KENNESAW STATE 2

The Flames took advantage of walks and got the clutch hits they needed while Garrett Horn continues his stellar work since moving into the weekend rotation. In the top of the first, Derek Orndorff drew a two-out walk, then stole second base, and Three Hillier knocked him in as Liberty jumped out to the early lead. This was a sign of things to come.

After KSU tied the game in the bottom of the first, the game would remain in a deadlock until Liberty’s bats broke it open in the fourth. Brady Gulakowski and Orndorff each had a two-run home run to right field in the fourth inning, to push the Liberty lead to 5-1. The Flames would tack on four more runs to extend their lead to 9-1 before KSU had a solo home run off reliever Trey Carter for the final score.

Horn pitched six innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out nine. He would pick up the win to improve to 4-1 on the season. It’s his third straight start on the weekend, as he has now pitched 11.2 innings while allowing four runs and striking out 25 in those three outings.

FRIDAY GAME 1: LIBERTY 18, KENNESAW STATE 3

Liberty wasted little time in the first of two games on Good Friday. The first eight batters of the game all reached safely and came around to score as the Flames jumped out to a commanding 8-0 lead after the top of the first inning. Kennesaw State would add two runs on a home run in the bottom of the first, but Liberty came right back with six more runs in the second. The Flames would tack on three runs in the third as the lead ballooned to 17-2.

The entire lineup got in on the action, but the first two hitters stood out. Gray Betts was 4 for 5 with a double, home run, and 5 RBI while Aaron Anderson was 4 for 8 with 2 runs and two RBIs. On the mound, Dylan Cumming held the Owls in check. He pitched 7 innings while surrendering 5 hits, 3 runs, one earned, walking two, and striking out five. The game finished after seven innings due to a conference run rule for a double header.

FRIDAY GAME 2: KENNESAW STATE 9, LIBERTY 8

After dominating the first two games of the series, it looked like the Flames were going to coast to the three-game series sweep. Gray Betts began the second game on Friday with a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game, giving the Flames a 1-0 lead. The Owls would tie the game at 1 in the bottom of the first, but Liberty would remain in control, taking a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

Kennesaw State used a five-run sixth inning to erase their deficit and take their first lead of the series. The Owls would push their advantage to 8-5 before Liberty came back to force a tie in the ninth. KSU would get the walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth to salvage the series and remain in first place in the ASUN East.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: GRAY BETTS

After a rough start to the series in Georgia where Gray Betts was 0 for 6 at the plate on Thursday, the Liberty catcher broke out in a big way in game one of the double header on Friday. He was 4 for 5 with two runs scored and five RBI with a double and a home run as he came up a triple short of the cycle. He followed that up with a leadoff home run in the second game of the double header as he hit safely in five out of six at bats to begin the day Friday. For the week, Betts was 6 for 18 at the plate with 6 RBI, 3 runs, and two home runs.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK: GARRETT HORN

True freshman Garrett Horn continues to look like he could develop into a Friday night ace for the Flames. He was solid again this week, pitching on Thursday, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out nine and walking four in 6 innings.

ON TAP

Liberty will return home for a four-game home stand beginning on Tuesday at 7 pm against the Duke Blue Devils. It will be a rematch from the March 29th game played in Durham where the Flames won 9-2.

For the weekend, Liberty welcomes North Florida to Lynchburg for a three-game ASUN series that begins on Friday. The Flames and Ospreys played in the first ASUN series of the season back in March, with Liberty winning the series with victories on Saturday and Sunday after falling to UNF, 5-2, in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday in Jacksonville.

ASUN STANDINGS

East
Kennesaw State…………11-4, 22-12
Liberty……………………….9-6, 22-12
FGCU…………………………8-7, 22-14
Jacksonville………………6-9, 18-15
North Florida……………..6-9, 15-22
Stetson……………………..5-10, 18-17

West
Lipscomb………………….10-5, 21-15
Central Arkansas………10-5, 16-18
Eastern Kentucky………9-6, 22-13
Jacksonville State…….9-6, 15-18
Bellarmine…………………5-10, 7-28
North Alabama………….2-13, 8-25