Liberty University
37-12
Bellarmine
13-36
10-Run 7th Inning Propels Liberty into ASUN Semifinals
5/22/2021 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Postgame Comments - Head Coach Scott Jackson
Postgame Comments - Outfielder Aaron Anderson
Postgame Comments - Pitcher Dylan Cumming
Top Plays 5-22-21
The No.1 North seed Liberty Flames broke a 2-2 tie with 10 runs in the seventh inning, dropping the No. 4 North seed Bellarmine Knights 12-6, Saturday afternoon in the second game of their best-of-three ASUN Quarterfinal series at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Field. With the win, Liberty sweeps the series, 2-0, and advances to the ASUN Semifinals, starting Thursday at UNF's Harmon Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
Liberty left fielder Aaron Anderson went 5-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Teammate Will Wagner collected three hits for the second straight day. The second baseman drove in a run and scored a run in the contest.
Flames starter Dylan Cumming settled in after allowing two runs in the first to pitch six scoreless innings before leaving with two out in the eighth. The right-hander went 7 2/3 innings, his longest outing of the season.
Liberty moves to 37-12. Bellarmine is eliminated from the ASUN Championship and finishes the year with a 13-26 record.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Bellarmine (13-26); Liberty (37-12)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: Dylan Cumming (4-1) | LP: Anthony Ethington (2-6)
Scoring Summary
BELL – 1st INNING – Gambert doubles, Mehlbauer and Finerty score, 2-0
LIBERTY – 1st INNING – McDyre reaches on a fielder's choice, Anderson score, 2-1
LIBERTY – 2nd INNING – Guy singles, Locklear scores, 2-2
LIBERTY – 7th INING – Anderson doubles, Mathieu scores, 3-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – McDyre walks, Guy scores, 4-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Pitcher balks, Anderson scores, 5-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Locklear walked, Wagner scores, 6-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Wilson grounds out with sacrifice bunt, McDyre scores, 7-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Mathieu singles, Locklear and Gulakowski scores, 9-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Anderson singles, Guy and Mathieu score, 11-2
LIBERTY – 7th INNING – Wagner singles, Betts scores, 12-2
BELL – 8th INNING – Higgins double, Finerty scores, 12-3
BELL – 8th INNING – Mulcahy singles, Higgins and Mehlbauer scores, 12-5
BELL – 8th INNING – Mehlbauer flies out, Rouse scores, 12-6
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Bellarmine, 12-5. The Knights committed the game's lone error.
- The Flames left nine men on base, while the Knights left six men on.
- Liberty starter Cumming moves to 4-1 on the season. The right-hander allowed five runs on four hits over 7 2/3-plus innings. He struck out four and walked three batters. He retired 12 consecutive batters at one point during his outing.
- Flames third basemen Trey McDyre and first baseman Logan Mathieu each had two RBI in the contest.
- Liberty center fielder Jaylen Guy reached base three times in the contest, singling, walking and being hit by a pitch. He had an RBI and scored two runs.
- Bellarmine reliever Anthony Ethington takes the loss. He was roughed up for five runs on one hit. He walked four batters.
- No Knight hitter had more than one hit in the contest.
Turning Point
With the score tied 2-2, Liberty broke open the game in the seventh. The Flames scored 10 times on five hits, benefitting from six walks and a balk to take a commanding 12-2 lead.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty is in its second ASUN Tournament. The Flames became the first team since UCF in 1985 to win the conference's title in their first year in the ASUN in 2019.
- The Flames finished their home season with nine consecutive victories and finish the year 24-2 at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The mark is the best in the nine-year history of the facility.
- Anderson raises his batting average to a team-leading .371 on the season. The ASUN All-Conference first team outfielder collects his ninth game with three or more hits on the year and leads the Flames with 21 multi-hit games.
- For the fourth consecutive game, Wagner posts a multi-hit game. With three hits for the second day in a row, the ASUN All-Conference second baseman has collected 19 multi-hit games and six three-hit contests on the year.
- Flames catcher Gray Betts had a single in the contest and scored a run in the contest. He has reached base safely in a team-leading 38 consecutive games.
- As a starter, Cumming is 4-1 with a 4.00 ERA in six starts on the season.
- Shortstop Cam Locklear played in his 338th game of his career on Saturday. The senior is one game away from tying Dalton Britt (2013-2016) for the most games played in program history.
Next Up
Liberty will face the lower seed remaining from the ASUN's South Division, Thursday in Game 1 of the ASUN Baseball Championship at Harmon Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cumming, Dylan (4-1)
L: Ethington, Anthony (2-6)
Batting:
2B: Higgins, Matt 1 ; Gambert, Chris 1
RBI: Mehlbauer, Clayton 1 ; Higgins, Matt 1 ; Mulcahy, Jacob 2 ; Gambert, Chris 2
SH: Mehlbauer, Clayton 1
SF: Mehlbauer, Clayton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Finerty, Josh 2 ; Mehlbauer, Clayton 2 ; Higgins, Matt 1 ; Rouse, Justin 1
HBP: Crane, Davis 1 ; Nelson, Noah 1
Batting:
2B: Anderson, Aaron 1 ; Locklear, Cam 1
RBI: Anderson, Aaron 3 ; Wagner, Will 1 ; McDyre, Trey 2 ; Locklear, Cam 1 ; Wilson, Jake 1 ; Mathieu, Logan 2 ; Guy, Jaylen 1
SH: Wilson, Jake 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Betts, Gray 1 ; Anderson, Aaron 2 ; Wagner, Will 1 ; McDyre, Trey 1 ; Gulakowski, Brady 1 ; Locklear, Cam 2 ; Mathieu, Logan 2 ; Guy, Jaylen 2
SB: Locklear, Cam 1
HBP: Gulakowski, Brady 1 ; Wilson, Jake 1 ; Guy, Jaylen 1
