The Liberty Flames hit their first cold patch of the 2022 baseball season, dropping three out of four before closing the weekend with two straight wins. The Flames split their two-game series last week against Campbell, before dropping consecutive games on the road against VCU and North Florida this past week.

The Flames bounced back to win two games over the Ospreys to close out the series and move to 2-1 in conference play to open the year. Liberty returns home for four games this week, beginning Tuesday against Wake Forest before Stetson comes to Lynchburg for an ASUN series.

TUESDAY: VCU 2, NO. 14 LIBERTY 1

On an afternoon in Richmond, where pitching held the upper hand, the VCU Rams plated the winning run without getting a hit out of the infield in the night inning. With the score tied at 1 entering the ninth, Liberty had its first two batters of the inning reach base as Aaron Anderson singled and Three Hillier drew a walk. However, the next three batters were retired in order to end the scoring threat. In the home half of the final inning, VCU had the first two batters of the inning reach on an infield single and a throwing error to put runners on the corners. A bunt single followed that scored the winning run for the walk-off victory.

SATURDAY GAME 1: NORTH FLORIDA 5, NO. 14 LIBERTY 2

Designated hitter Trey Spratling-Williams gave North Florida a 4-2 lead, hitting his first home run with a runner aboard with one out in the sixth. Later in the inning, Isaiah Byars hit his first home run of the season for a 5-2 lead. It broke a 2-2 tie that went into the final innings. Liberty third baseman Stephen Hill had three hits in the contest and gave Liberty a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his first home run of the year.

SATURDAY GAME 2: NO. 14 LIBERTY 11, NORTH FLORIDA 5

Liberty would score in each of the first six innings to jump out to a commanding lead before coasting to the win in the second game of the doubleheader, earning a split. The Flames built a 9-0 lead over the first four innings. Five Liberty batters had two or more hits in the contest. Hill, who hit his first home run of the year in game one, went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and four RBI to lead all players in game two. DH Brady Gulakowski added two hits, a run-scoring double and his third home run of the season, and three RBI.

SUNDAY: NO. 14 LIBERTY 7, NORTH FLORIDA 5

The Ospreys jumped ahead as they looked to take the series. They scored two runs in the bottom of the first as Liberty, uncharacteristically, had three errors in the frame. UNF would lead 4-1 after four innings, but the Flames would battle back, scoring four two-out runs in the fifth inning. Doubles by Brady Gulakowski and Cameron Foster narrowed the game to one before Three Hillier blasted a two-run home run as Liberty took its first lead of the day at 5-4. Another two-run shot, this one by Gulakowski in the 7th, gave the Flames some insurance heading into the later innings.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: STEPHEN HILL

Helping the Flames break out of an offensive slump, third baseman Stephen Hill had a big day on Saturday. After going 0/3 in the lineup Tuesday against VCU, Hill was 6 for 8 in the two games Saturday against the Ospreys. He had a two-run homerun in the first inning of both games, finishing with his first three home runs of the season in the doubleheader as he knocked two in the second game. He had 6 RBIs and 3 runs on Saturday.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK: TREY GIBSON

After dropping two straight for the first time this season, the Flames needed a lift in game two of the doubleheader Saturday at North Florida. Enter Trey Gibson. The ASUN Preseason Pitcher of the Year pitched five innings, allowing just one run on five hits while he struck out eight. He picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the season.

ON TAP

Liberty’s mid-week tilt is on Tuesday against ACC foe Wake Forest with first pitch scheduled for 4 pm from Lynchburg. The Demon Deacons are currently 16-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play following their weekend series win over No. 9 Georgia Tech. Wake Forest had a record-breaking performance in Saturday’s win with 27 runs, setting program records for runs and hits in an ACC game. They have scored at least 20 runs in three games already this season.

The Flames will stay at home for a three-game conference series against the Stetson Hatters. The three game series is scheduled for Friday at 6 pm, Saturday at 4 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm. The Hatters are currently 12-8 on the season and 0-3 to begin ASUN play. They were swept at home against FGCU this past weekend, dropping the first two games by scores of 25-11 and 15-2.

ASUN STANDINGS

East
FGCU…………………………3-0, 16-4
Kennesaw State…………3-0, 12-6
Liberty……………………….2-1, 14-4
North Florida……………..1-2, 7-13
Stetson……………………..0-3, 12-8
Jacksonville………………0-3, 11-8

West
Jacksonville State…….3-0, 7-10
Eastern Kentucky………2-1, 13-8
Central Arkansas………2-1, 7-11
North Alabama………….1-2, 6-12
Bellarmine…………………1-2, 3-17
Lipscomb………………….0-3, 10-10