Liberty was swept by the Stetson Hatters in an ASUN series in DeLand, Florida this weekend, as the home team came from behind in the final two games of the series to seal the series sweep. The Flames have now dropped four straight to fall to 19-24 overall and 10-11 in the ASUN.
Friday: Stetson 7, Liberty 0
Liberty was shut out on Friday night in the series opener in DeLand, Florida. The duo of Austin Amaral and Johnathan Gonzalez combined to hold Liberty to just four hits in the contest. The Hatters struck for three runs in the third before breaking the game open with three more in the seventh.
Liberty starter Garrett Horn allowed three runs on four hits while striking out six and walking one. He took the loss in the contest. Stetson second baseman Yohann Dessureault hit two solo home runs in the game.
Saturday/Sunday: Stetson 13, Liberty 8
Liberty jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Stetson Hatters in the top of the second before heavy rainfall caused the ASUN contest to be suspended, Saturday evening. The game restarted on Sunday morning.
Liberty plated four runs on four hits in the second before the rain started, making the field unplayable. Third baseman Cam Foster hit his team-leading ninth home run of the season with a runner aboard for a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, left fielder Kane Kepley drove in two more with a two-triple to make it 4-0 Flames.
On Sunday morning after the game restarted, Liberty pushed the lead to 5-0 and 8-2 in the fourth inning. With Liberty leading 8-2, Stetson struck for five runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 12-8 and then held off the Flames for the win as Stetson erased a six-run deficit.
After scoring five runs in the fourth to cut Liberty’s lead to 8-7, Stetson went in front with another big inning in the fifth. The first three Hatters of the inning reached, as they took the lead. Third baseman Drew Wyers singled and second baseman Yohann Dessureault was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Shortstop Lorenzo Meola followed with a single to score both runners to give Stetson the lead.
Sunday: Stetson 5, Liberty 4 (7 innings)
Playing in a shortened game of just 7 innings due to the double-header, Liberty jumped out to the lead for a second consecutive game. The game was scoreless into the fourth inning before the Flames plated three runs in the top of the 4th. Nathan Keeter had a two-run double followed by an RBI triple from John Simmons. Liberty would add a 4th run in the 5th to stretch the lead to 4-0.
Liberty starter Mikey Tepper kept the Hatters off the scoreboard into the 6th inning. He would finish the game pitching 5+ innings while striking out 8 and walking two. He surrendered 4 runs, 2 earned, on 3 hits.
Things would collapse for Liberty in the 6th, as Stetson scored 5 runs to take their first lead of the game. It marks the second time of the weekend series and third time in four games where Liberty blow a lead.
It’s Liberty’s fourth consecutive loss as the Flames now return home.
Up Next: The Flames begin a five-game home stand on Wednesday against Old Dominion. The season finale against the Monarchs has first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. The Flames defeated the Monarchs in the previous matchup this season, 9-5, on March 22. Following the midweek game against ODU, Liberty will play host to Jacksonville State for a three-game ASUN series.
Current ASUN Standings
FGCU 16-5
Lipscomb 15-6
Stetson 15-6
Jacksonville State 14-7
Austin Peay 12-9
Kennesaw State 12-9
Jacksonville 10-11
Liberty 10-11
Eastern Kentucky 10-11
Central Arkansas 10-11
North Florida 8-13
Bellarmine 6-15
Queens 6-15
North Alabama 3-17
The top eight teams will advance to the ASUN Tournament. Liberty is currently in a four-way tie for 7th place. The team that finishes in first place at the end of the regular season will be the 1-seed in the ASUN Tournament while seeds 2-8 will be determined by RPI of the remaining teams that qualify for the tournament.
