Liberty was defeated by Big 12 Champion Oklahoma on Friday afternoon, 16-3, in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional.
Things got off to a good start for the Flames before the wheels fell off the bus. Liberty struck first, scoring three in the top of the first inning to take the early lead. The first two batters of the game, Gray Betts and Aaron Anderson, reached base before Stephen Hill roped a line drive off the wall in left center with two outs to score two runs. Logan Mathieu would follow with an RBI single.
It was all downhill from there for Liberty and head coach Scott Jackson though.
The Sooners would strike for four runs in the bottom of the second off Liberty starter Dylan Cumming to take the lead, 4-3. Oklahoma had back-to-back home runs in the inning by Kendall Pettis and John Spikerman who had just three home runs combined this season entering Friday’s game.
Liberty would attempt to strike right back in the top of the third. Aaron Anderson had a lead off single and moved to second on a one-out infield single by Three Hillier. Stepping to the plate after his first inning, two-run double, Hill smoked a ball to the warning track in left field but left it just shy of leaving the park. Mathieu laced a single to right field with two outs, and Coach Jackson sent Anderson as he rounded third but he would be thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Oklahoma would blow things open in the middle innings, scoring two in the fourth and eight in the fifth for a commanding 14-3 lead.
Cumming’s day was done after four innings. He allowed six runs, five of them earned, on eight hits. Jeremy Beamon entered in relief of Cumming to begin the fifth, but he was unable to record an out. All six batters he faced reached base and eventually scored as he surrendered four hits, one walk, and one hit batter. The Sooners would then score two more runs in the inning off Max Alba.
Oklahoma starter Jake Bennett settled in after the first inning. He would go on to pitch 5.2 innings while allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out seven and walking two.
Liberty now falls into the loser’s bracket of the Gainesville Regional. The Flames will take on the loser of tonight’s Central Michigan-Florida game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Joe Adametz is likely to get the start for Liberty. It will be the first elimination game of the regional with the winner advancing to another elimination game on Sunday. Liberty must win four games in a row to advance to Super Regionals.
