Liberty baseball was swept this weekend in a three-game series to open the 2020 season at Clemson. The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of Liberty with a 6-2 victory over the Flames on Sunday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Liberty, the preseason favorites to win the Atlantic Sun Conference, did not get swept in a three-game series in all of 2019.
2/14 @ Clemson L, 5-3
2/15 @ Clemson L, 1-0
2/16 @ Clemson L, 6-2
The Tigers held Liberty to five runs over the three games: Clemson earned a 5-3 win Friday and a 1-0 victory on Saturday, in addition to Sunday’s 6-2 contest.
Clemson used 10 pitchers over the entirety of the weekend, and seven of the 10 didn’t allow a run. Liberty hit just .156 as a team during the three games as Clemson starters Sam Weatherly, Davis Sharpe and Strider got the Tigers off to good starts and the bullpen had plenty of success as well.
“The difference for me the whole weekend was the pitching. I thought Clemson’s arms were really good. And some different looks. That’s about as much of a different look as you’re going to get on a weekend as far as a right-handed cutter guy, a left-handed cutter guy, and some power,” Liberty coach Scott Jackson said. “Everybody came out of there pretty sharp. Credit to them, they did a great job.”
Brad Gulakowski, who transferred to Liberty this year after attending Polk State College in 2019 and NC State in 2018, led the team with 4 hits over the weekend in his 12 at-bats. He had a double and a run scored but struck out 7 times.
Jaylen Guy was 3-for-11 over the weekend with 1 run scored while Ben Highfill had a double, a home run, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. The Flames left 31 on base in the three-game series.
Starters Friday and Saturday, Noah Skirrow and Mason Meyer combined to pitch 11 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 5. Sunday’s starter, Joe Adametz, allowed 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Liberty will return to action Tuesday when it hots Radford at 4 p.m. in the home opener. The Flames then host Seton Hall for a three-game series beginning Friday.
2/18 vs Radford (3-0) 4 p.m.
2/21 vs Seton Hall (2-1) 4 p.m.
2/22 vs Seton Hall (2-1) 2 p.m.
2/23 vs Seton Hall (2-1) 1 p.m.
The Highlanders are 3-0 following a series sweep at North Carolina Central this weekend. The Pirates opened the season in Winston Salem, losing to No. 20 Wake Forest 4-3 on Friday, before defeating Illinois 10-2 Saturday and Milwaukee 17-1 on Sunday.
