Liberty University
30-17
Richmond
23-20
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Liberty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 6 | 1 |
Pitching Propels Liberty Past Richmond
5/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Liberty Flames used a three-run fourth inning and received a solid performance from its mound corps for a 3-2 victory over the Richmond Spiders, Wednesday afternoon at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
Pitcher Matt Pennington moves to 2-1 on the season, recording the win in back-to-back starts. The left-hander faced the minimum through the first 5 2/3 innings. The only Spider to reach during the span was on an error in the third inning, but was picked off by Pennington.
The senior gave up two runs on four hits over seven-plus innings. He struck out seven batters and walked two.
Shawn Clowers followed with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, entering in the eighth with no outs. He allowed two hits, striking out two and walking one.
Alex Close struck out the only batter he faced with runners at second and third in the ninth to close out the Liberty victory and record his fifth save of the year.
Shortstop Dalton Britt hit his fourth home run of the season, while Close and third baseman Sammy Taormina collected two hits apiece for the Flames in the victory.
Liberty moves to 30-17 on the season. The contest was the first for the Flames since a 5-0 win over East Carolina behind Pennington, a week ago, as Liberty took its spring semester exams. In addition, the Flames finish a six-game homestand with a 5-1 record.
Richmond falls to 23-20 on the year.
Neither team had a hit until Liberty's three-run fourth. The Flames opened the bottom half of the inning with three straight hits.
Britt led off the frame by driving the first offering from Richmond starter Dan Martinson over the right field wall for the first run of the contest. Close followed by dropping a double inside the right field line and score on a single by catcher Becker Sankey for a 2-0 edge.
After reaching on a fielder's choice, right fielder Will Shepherd stole second base. Taormina followed with a single to plate Shepherd for a 3-0 lead.
Richmond struck for two runs in the eighth. Right fielder Jansen Fraser led off the inning with a ground-rule double and moved to third on a single by catcher Brandon Johnson. After Clowers relieved Pennington, shortstop Tyler Beckwith plated Fraser with a sacrifice bunt for the Spiders' firs run of the contest. Two batters later, a two-out infield single by left fielder Michael Morman scored Johnson, cutting the Liberty advantage to 3-2.
In the ninth, Richmond moved runners to second and third with two outs. However, Close came on to strike out pinch hitter Jake Wood to seal the 3-2 Flames' win.
Martinson falls to 0-3 on the year. The right-hander gave up three runs on three hits. The first of five Spiders to pitch in the contest, he struck out four batters and walked one.
Each team had six hits in the contest.
The contest start time was moved up an hour and an half in order to avoid severe thunderstorms forecast for the Lynchburg area.
Liberty next travels to Conway, S.C. for a Big South Conference series at Coastal Carolina. The series opener gets underway, Friday at Springs Brooks Stadium at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pennington, Matt (2-1)
L: MARTINSON, Dan (0-3)
S: Close, Alex (5)
Batting:
2B: BECKWITH, Tyler 1 ; FRASER, Jansen 1
RBI: BECKWITH, Tyler 1 ; MORMAN, Michael 1
SH: BECKWITH, Tyler 1 ; ADAMS, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FRASER, Jansen 1 ; JOHNSON, Brandon 1
CS: FRASER, Jansen 1
PO: FRASER, Jansen 1
Batting:
2B: Close, Alex 1
HR: Britt, Dalton 1
RBI: Britt, Dalton 1 ; Sankey, Becker 1 ; Taormina, Sammy 1
SH: Paxton, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Britt, Dalton 1 ; Close, Alex 1 ; Shepherd, Will 1
SB: Britt, Dalton 1 ; Shepherd, Will 1
CS: Perritt, Ashton 1 ; Shepherd, Will 1
HBP: Perritt, Ashton 1
