Liberty University
25-9
Duke
17-16
Liberty Falls for 1st Time at Home This Season
4/20/2021 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Head Coach Scott Jackson Postgame Press Conference
The Duke Blue Devils dealt Liberty its first home loss of the season, shutting out the Flames, 7-0, Tuesday evening at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
Liberty had won its first 14 home games of the year and dating back to last year, entered the game having won 16 straight at home, the fourth longest active streak in the country.
Scoreless through the first five innings, left fielder RJ Schreck hit a three-run home in the sixth inning to give Duke a lead it never relinquished.
Five Blue Devils pitchers held the Liberty bats in check throughout the evening, combining to shut out the Flames for the first time this season.
Liberty second baseman Will Wagner, the reigning ASUN Player of the Week, led all hitters in the contest with three hits, including a double.
The Flames see their eight-game winning streak come to end, dropping to 25-9 on the season. The Blue Devils improve to 17-16.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Duke (17-16); Liberty (25-9)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: Josh Nifong (2-3) | LP: Dylan Cumming (1-1)
Scoring Summary
DUKE – 6th INNING – Schreck homers, Murray and Loperfido scores, 3-0
DUKE – 8th INNING – Matt walks, Loperfido scores, 4-0
DUKE – 8th INNING – Rothenberg flies out, Murray scores, 5-0
DUKE – 8th INNING – Schreck scores on throwing error, 6-0
DUKE – 8th INNING – Matt scores on wild pitch, 7-0
Notable Numbers
- Hits were at a premium in the contest. Liberty had five hits, while Duke had seven.
- Liberty left 11 on base. Duke left six.
- Each team committed one error in the contest.
- In his second start of the season, Liberty's Dylan Cumming allowed three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out a season high eight and walked two.
- Liberty's four pitchers combined to strike out 14 Blue Devils, while Duke's five pitchers struck out 12 Flames.
- Schreck was the only Blue Devil with two hits. His home run was his seventh of the season.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty falls to 7-2 in midweek games, this season.
- Flames catcher Gray Betts singled in third inning to extend his hitting streak to 20 games and his reached base safely streak to 23 consecutive games. Both streaks are the longest for a Flame this year.
- Wagner has at least one hit in each of the last six games. The second baseman collects his second three-hit contest and his 12th multi-hit game of the season.
- Pitcher David Erickson made his team-leading 15th appearance in the contest. He pitched a scoreless ninth.
Next Up
Liberty will welcome the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium for a three-game series, starting Friday. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Josh Nifong (2-3)
L: Cumming, Dylan (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Wil Hoyle 1
HR: Rj Schreck 1
RBI: Rj Schreck 3 ; Peter Matt 1 ; Michael Rothenberg 1
SF: Michael Rothenberg 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Joey Loperfido 2 ; Ethan Murray 2 ; Rj Schreck 2 ; Peter Matt 1
Batting:
2B: Wagner, Will 1
