Liberty University
19-10, 0
Charleston Southern
12-15, 0
Clowers and Close Pitch Flames Past Buccaneers
4/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Shawn Clowers and Alex Close combined to hold host Charleston Southern in check, leading the Liberty Flames past the Buccaneers, 3-1, Thursday night in the opening game of a three-game Big South series at CSU Ballpark.
The victory extends Liberty's winning streak to five games. The Flames have also won four straight conference games.
Making his second start of the season, Clowers moves to 7-1 on the year. The Big South leader in wins, the senior left-hander gave up one run on nine hits over 8 2/3 innings. The senior's outing was the longest of his Liberty career.
Clowers worked with at least one runner on base in every inning, but one, the third. The left-hander stranded Buccaneers runners at the corners in both the first and fifth innings.
Clowers locked in a pitchers' duel with Charleston Southern starting pitcher Andrew Tomasovich throughout the first seven innings. The two pitchers entered the night fifth and ninth respectively in the Big South in ERA.
Close entered with runners at second and third base and two outs in the eighth. After retiring the only batter he faced in the eighth to preserve Liberty's then one-run advantage, the right-hander pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the year.
The two combined to strand 12 Charleston Southern runners.
Right fielder Will Shepherd's second home run of the season provided all the runs Clowers and Close needed.
Liberty moves to 5-2 in Big South play and 19-10 overall. Charleston Southern drops to 3-4 in conference and 12-15 overall. It was the first meeting between the two teams at CSU Ballpark since 2010.
The Flames used two two-out hits to take a 2-0 edge in the third. Center fielder Ashton Perritt lined a single into left field and Shepherd followed by ripping a 0-1 offering over the left field wall for a Liberty lead.
Charleston Southern plated a run in the eighth to cut Liberty's lead to one. Right fielder Chase Shelton opened the home half of the inning with a single and stole second. After third baseman Nate Blanchard walked, catcher Sam Remick scored Shelton with one-out single to make it, 2-1 Flames.
A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance into scoring. However, Clowers was able to strikeout second baseman Ryan Maksim, before Close entered and retired pinch hitter Brian Dye on a ground out to first to preserve the Liberty advantage.
The Flames added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Close led off the inning with a single to center and advanced to third on a ground out by shortstop Dalton Britt and a Buccaneers throwing error. Three batters later, left fielder Nick Paxton single back through the middle of the diamond, plating close for what proved to be the final score of 3-1.
In the bottom of the inning, Charleston Southern was able to bring the tying run to the plate. Center fielder Brandon Burris reached on an infield single to open the inning, but Close retired the next three batters to close out the contest.
Charleston Southern's Tomasovich falls to 4-3 on the season. The first of three Bucs to pitch in the contest, the left-hander allowed two runs on four hits over 7 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 and walked two batters.
Perritt collected two of Liberty's six hits in the contest. Charleston Southern recorded 10 hits.
The two teams will met in the middle game of the three-game series, tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Clowers, Shawn (7-1)
L: TOMASOVICH (4-3)
S: Close, Alex (3)
Batting:
HR: Shepherd, Will 1
RBI: Shepherd, Will 2 ; Paxton, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perritt, Ashton 1 ; Shepherd, Will 1 ; Close, Alex 1
SB: Perritt, Ashton 1 ; Shepherd, Will 1
CS: Close, Alex 1
Batting:
RBI: REMICK, S. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SHELTON, C. 1
SB: BURRIS, B. 1 ; SHELTON, C. 1
HBP: MURPHY, C. 1
