Liberty dropped the first two games in the team’s first ever trip to play at Lipscomb in Nashville, both by one run, on Friday and Saturday. The Flames would pick up the win on Sunday to avoid the sweep. Liberty is now 12-15 on the season and 4-5 in conference play.
Friday: Lipscomb 2, Liberty 1
All the scoring in the series opener was done in the first inning and it was enough for the home-standing Bisons to pick up the win.
Liberty loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first with three hits, but the Flames were only able to bring across one run in the frame. Brayden Horton’s sacrifice fly scored Gray Betts before Jaylen Guy grounded out to end the threat. Liberty would not get another hit the rest of the afternoon and only had one more base runner the rest of the way as Lipscomb starting pitcher Logan Van Treeck shut down the visiting Flames. Van Treeck pitched the complete game allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven and walking one.
The Bisons scored two runs in the bottom of the first off Liberty ace Garrett Horn. Lipscomb had a solo homerun and then an inside the park homer to take the lead. Horn would pitch 4+ innings on the day, allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Trey Carter would pitch four scoreless innings of relief while striking out eight and walking one.
Saturday: Lipscomb 8, Liberty 7
The Flames and Bisons went 13 innings without scoring a run from Friday into Saturday. After going scoreless the final eight innings Friday afternoon, the two teams remained scoreless into the 6th on Saturday.
After Liberty scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a one-run lead, the Lipscomb Bisons answered with three in the bottom of the seventh en route to an 8-7 victory over the Flames.
Liberty took leads in the top of an inning twice in the contest, only to see Lipscomb regain the lead back in the bottom of the inning. After the Flames broke up a scoreless game with three in the top of the sixth inning, the Bisons struck for five in the bottom of the inning for a 5-3 advantage. In the seventh, Liberty plated three in the top of the frame for a 6-5 edge before Lipscomb answered with three in the home half of the inning for an 8-6 lead. The Flames had the tying run on second with two away in the ninth, but the Bisons held on for the win.
Flames center fielder Jaylen Guy and first baseman Brayden Horton each went 3-for-4, doubled and hit a home run in the game. Guy hit a three-run home run and scored twice. Horton hit a solo home run, had two RBI and scored three times.
Liberty cut its deficit to one run with one out in the ninth. Horton hit a solo home run over the right field wall to trim Lipscomb’s deficit to 8-7. Two batters later, Guy doubled off the wall in left field with two out to move the tying run into scoring position. Shortstop Jake Lazzaro battled Frank fouling off several two-strike pitches before popping out to end the game.
Sunday: Liberty 9, Lipscomb 4
Liberty was able to avoid the series sweep on Sunday behind the strong pitching of starter Mike Tepper. He pitched 6.2 innings while striking out a career-high 13 and allowing just two runs on two hits.
After Lipscomb scratched a run across in the first, the Flames bounced right back with single runs in each of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings to take a 3-1 run. The first run came from a Cam Foster home run. The Bisons would cut into the deficit in the 4th with a sacrifice fly, bringing the score to 3-2.
A run in the 7th and two in the 8th would provide insurance for the Flames but Lipscomb would not go down without a fight. The Bisons cut the lead to 6-4 with a two-run home run in the 8th. In the top of the 9th, Brayden Horton would blast a three-run bomb for the final score.
Up Next: The Flames will take on in-state foe Virginia for the first of two games against the Cavaliers this season. Liberty and UVA will meet at Liberty Baseball Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. The Cavaliers are currently 24-4 on the season and 8-4 in ACC play and ranked No. 5 in the country. The Wahoos are coming off a series loss at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg this past weekend, where they dropped two of three games.
