After opening the season 4-0, and then opening the weekend with a win over Xavier to improve to 5-0, the Liberty Flames dropped two straight games to lose the weekend series at Liberty Baseball Stadium and to fall to 5-2 on the season. This was the first time these two teams have played since they met on a neutral field in a tournament in Florida in 1996, a game in which Liberty won, 8-4.

FRIDAY: LIBERTY 10, XAVIER 7

The Flames stormed back from seven runs down to defeat Xavier on Friday afternoon. The Musketeers built a 7-0 lead through the first four innings before the Flames began to chip away at that deficit. Liberty scored three runs in the 5th, three more in the 6th, and then took the lead with four runs in the 8th for the comeback victory as the Flames scored 10 unanswered over the course of the game.

DH Landon Scilley went 4 for 5 with 3 RBI and a run scored, the first Flame with four hits in a game this season. He gave Liberty the lead with a two-run double down the right field line in the 8th. SS Tanner Marsh added 3 hits, an RBI, and scored twice. 3B Jaxson Sorenson had two hits and drove in three runs.

Joseph Webb allowed the Flames to mount the comeback with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. He has not allowed a run in either of his two relief appearances this season. Josh McCusker records the win as he pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th inning.

12 of Liberty’s 16 hits came after the 4th inning while the Flames scored 5 of their 10 runs with two outs.

The Flames improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2012 when Liberty began that season 7-0.

SATURDAY: XAVIER 9, LIBERTY 5

Xavier did the rallying on Saturday, coming back from five runs down to defeat the Flames, knocking Liberty from the unbeaten ranks on Saturday afternoon.

Liberty jumped out to a 5-0 advantage through the first three innings. Xavier cut its lead to 5-2 in the top of the 4th inning. The Musketeers then struck for four in the 7th to take the lead for good at 6-5. and did not look back behind reliever Jack Nobe. The freshman right-hander held the Flames scoreless over the final five innings.

LF Nick Barone hit his first home run as a Flame, a solo shot in the bottom of the 3rd. No Liberty player had more than one hit. SS Tanner Marsh, 3B Jaxon Sorenson, and 2B Easton Swofford each had a hit in the game, as they have each had at least one hit in each of the first six games this season.

Caleb Lingenfelter takes the loss. He gave up four runs on three hits over 1.1 innings while walking two. Liberty’s five pitchers combined to yield 11 walks on the afternoon. Liberty starter Ben Blair struck out six while walking five and allowing 2 runs, one earned, on five hits in five innings. Garrett McLaughlin gave up three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings.

SUNDAY: XAVIER 5, LIBERTY 4

Liberty jumped on top in the bottom of the first with three runs. Camden Troyer knocked in two with his right field single and then came around to score on a single by Landon Scilley.

The score remained the same until the 6th when the Musketeers brought things within one on a two-run homer, making it 3-2. That would conclude Dylan Mathiesen’s day on the e mound for the Flames. He started and pitched 5 scoreless innings before allowing the two runs in the 6th. Mathiesen finished the game with 9 strikeouts and just one walk while allowing 3 hits and the two runs in 5.1 innings.

The Flames added to their lead in the bottom of the 7th when Nick Barone’s sacrifice fly scored Riley DeCandido. Xavier would come right back with three runs in the top of the 8th to take the lead and eventually win, 5-4. Jack Frankel took the loss for the Flames as he gave up three hits, three runs, two earned in two innings.

Up Next: The Flames now hit the road for a five road trip beginning Wednesday at Duke in Durham with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. Liberty then plays at UNC Wilmington for a three-game series Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Current CUSA Standings

Western Kentucky…5-0
FIU………………………7-1
Jax State……………..7-1
Dallas Baptist……..6-1
Louisiana Tech……5-2
Liberty…………………5-2
NMSU…………………..5-2
Middle Tenn………….4-3
Kennesaw State……3-5
Sam Houston……….2-5