Liberty picked up a much needed series win by taking two of three against Austin Peay. It was a series filled with dramatics that included Liberty’s first rain delay of the season, a shortened game due to the new 10-run rule, Austin Peay’s coach, pitcher, and catcher all being ejected, and much more. With the two wins on the weekend, the Flames have improved to 11-12 on the season and 3-3 in conference play.
Friday: Liberty 12, Austin Peay 1 (7 innings)
Liberty broke the game open in the second inning with eight runs, all of them coming with two outs. It started with a bases-clearing triple by Camden Troyer to bring in the first three runs of the game. Cam Foster followed that with another triple and then Brayden Horton doubled. Jake Lazzaro finished the damage in the inning with a two-run opposite field home run that went over the left field fence to make it 8-0.
That would be more than enough insurance for ASUN Preseason Pitcher of the Year Garrett Horn. The lefty picked up the win as he allowed one run on two hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
There was a 44 minute rain delay in the 6th inning and the game ended in the seventh under the new NCAA 10-run rule.
Saturday: Austin Peay 18, Liberty 15
On Friday, Liberty’s eight run second inning was the most the Flames have scored in an inning this season. They didn’t waste much time to do it again. In the first inning of Saturday’s game, the Flames plated 8 runs to take an 8-2 lead. The hot start was capped by Nathan Keeter’s three-run home run.
Garrett Gainey, making his first weekend start this season, was unable to hold onto the lead. He gave up 9 runs on 9 hits in three innings and did not record an out in the fourth. It was the fourth that the Governors scored 6 runs and took the lead. Austin Peay scored 9 unanswered to take an 11-8 lead.
The Governors would push their lead to 15-9 entering the bottom of the 8th, but Liberty would not go away quietly. In the home half of the 8th, the Flames would plate 6 to tie the game. Nathan Keeter would hit a grand slam to even the score entering the 9th, his second of the game as he knocked in a career-high seven RBI. The home runs were the first of the season for Keeter.
In the top of the 9th, the visiting Governors would score three to take the lead by the eventual final score of 18-15.
Sunday: Liberty 6, Austin Peay 5 (10 innings)
After their big day Saturday, Austin Peay jumped on top to begin the rubber match Sunday. The Governors scored twice in the top of the first and another in the second to take a 3-0 lead on Liberty starter Mikey Tepper. Peay would push its lead to 4-0 in the 5th.
The Flames would not go away thought and kept fighting throughout the afternoon. Cam Foster began Liberty’s quest to chip away at the lead with a two-run home run in the 6th, to draw within two runs. The Flames took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the 8th as Jake Lazzaro knocked in two with his RBI single and Brayden Horton scored as Jaylen Guy beat out the throw to first on a double play attempt.
Austin Peay scored in the top of the 9th to tie the game at 5 and send it to extra innings. After Cole Garrett set down the Governors in the 10th, Nathan Keeter punctuated his tremendous weekend at the plate with an RBI single up the middle that scored Jaylen Guy.
Up Next: The Flames will conclude a four-game home stand Tuesday afternoon against Duke with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. This will be the second game of the season series between Liberty and Duke after Liberty defeated the Blue Devils, 8-6, in Durham on February 22. The Blue Devils are currently 15-9 on the season and 4-5 in the ACC after dropping two of three to North Carolina this past weekend.
