Liberty won two of three games at Kennesaw State over the weekend, winning Friday night in extra innings and in the second game of a Saturday double-header. With the series win, the Flames are now 17-18 overall and 8-7 in ASUN play.
Friday: Liberty 6, Kennesaw State 2 (11 innings)
Liberty scored four runs in the 11th inning to take game one of the three game series in Kennesaw on Friday night.
Cam Foster recorded a highlight out in the bottom of the 10th to send the game to the 11th where he would single with two outs to give the Flames the 4-2 advantage. Jake Lazzaro followed with a two-run triple for what proved to be the final score of 6-2.
The Flames sent the game to extra innings by scoring on a throwing error by the Owls catcher in an attempt to get pinch runner Nathan Keeter advancing to third base on a wild pitch.
Jaylen Guy had three hits and scored a run in the game while Foster added two hits and scored twice. Trey Carter pitched four scoreless innings in relief while Cole Hertzler closed out the win with 1.1 scoreless innings.
Saturday Game 1: Kennesaw State 5, Liberty 3
The Owls scored three runs in the second inning and held off the Flames for the victory. Both starting pitchers worked into the seventh inning. Liberty’s Garrett Gainey pitched 6.1 innings while Kennesaw’s Nick Zenga went the full seven innings.
Liberty closed to within a run but could not tie the contest in the top of the eighth. Kepley and Brayden Horten led off the inning with walks. Two batters later, Three Hillier walked to load the bases with one out. Kepley scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3. Gray Betts flied out to right field and Horton tried to score the tying run but was thrown out at home.
Saturday Game 2: Liberty 9, Kennesaw State 1
Liberty broke open the game in the 7th with six runs to take control and win the series, a crucial one in the ASUN.
The Flames grabbed an early 3-0 lead in the third inning, highlighted by Three Hillier’s two-run home run. Liberty starter Mikey Tepper would keep Liberty in front as he allowed just one run on three hits in 5.2 innings pitched.
To lead off the 7th, Cam Troyer walked and Hillier was hit by a pitch. Gray Betts then reached on a sacrifice bunt as Kennesaw State committed an error on the play, one of two errors in the inning for the Owls. Kepley’s double scored two runs.
Up Next: The Flames will take on No. 2 Wake Forest on Wednesday at 6 pm in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Demon Deacons are currently 31-4 on the season and 14-2 in ACC play entering Sunday’s game at Louisville. Wake Forest is 20-1 in their home ballpark. They defeated the Flames, 12-5, on March 15 in Lynchburg.
Current ASUN Standings
Lipscomb 11-3
FGCU 11-4
Jacksonville State 10-4
Austin Peay 9-5
Jacksonville 8-6
Stetson 8-6
Liberty 8-7
North Florida 7-8
Kennesaw State 7-8
Central Arkansas 7-8
Eastern Kentucky 6-9
Bellarmine 5-9
North Alabama 2-12
Queens 2-12
