Liberty University
15-6, 3-2
Stetson
13-9, 1-4
Stetson Outlasts No. 15 Liberty 5-3
3/26/2022 9:24:00 PM | Baseball
The Stetson Hatters topped the No. 15 Liberty Flames 5-3 in an ASUN contest at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, Saturday afternoon.
The visiting Hatters jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings of play and then held off the Flames the rest of the way for the victory. Stetson starting pitcher Jonathan Gonzalez and reliever Rasesh Pandya worked out of several Liberty scoring opportunities, as the Flames went 2-for-12 in the contest with runners in scoring position.
With the victory, Stetson evens the series a 1-1. Liberty drops to 15-6 overall and 3-2 ASUN Conference action. Stetson improves to 13-9 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Stetson (13-9, 1-4 ASUN); Liberty (15-6, 3-2 ASUN)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: Jonathan Gonzalez (3-3) | LP: Trey Gibson (3-1) | SV: Rasesh Pandya (2)
Scoring Summary
1st INNING – STET – Estella steals second, Hill scores on throwing error, 1-0
1st INNING – STET – Estella scores on a passed ball (unearned), 2-0
2nd INNING – STET – Hill homers, Labador scores, 4-0
3rd INNING – LIBERTY – Hillier grounds out, Gulakowski scores, 4-1
3rd INNING – LIBERTY – Keeter singles, Foster scores, 4-2
3rd INNING – LIBERTY – Mathieu doubles, Keeter scores, 4-3
9th INNING – STET – Hill singles, Griffith scores, 5-3
Notable Numbers
- Stetson outhit Liberty, 9-7. The Flames committed three errors. The Hatters made two.
- Liberty left 11 men on base. Stetson left seven men on base.
- Flames starter Trey Gibson takes the loss. The right-hander allowed four runs on three hits over two innings. He struck out four and walked two batters.
- Liberty reliever Garrett Horn pitched five innings of scoreless relief. The freshman yielded two hits while striking out a career-high 10 and walking one batter.
- Stetson's Gonzalez recorded the win. He gave up three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked four.
- Pandya earns his second save of the year. He did not allow a hit over the final 2 1/3 innings. He struck out one and walked one.
- Hatters second baseman Cameron Hill had two hits, including his second home run of the year in the contest. He drove in three of Stetson's four runs.
Turning Point
After being turned away several times early in the game with runners in scoring position, Liberty was once again able to bring the winning run to the plate in the ninth with two outs. With right fielder Aaron Anderson aboard after being hit by a pitch, second baseman Cameron Foster walked with two outs to put two men aboard. However, Pandya was able to retire catcher Three Hillier, who singled home the winning run in the ninth on Friday, to end the contest.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty falls at home in ASUN Conference play for the first time since losing to Lipscomb 9-1 at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium on May 10, 2019. The Flames had won 14 straight ASUN home games.
- Horn's 10 strikeouts are the most for a Liberty pitcher in a game this season. The left-hander struck out 10 of the 18 batters he faced.
- Liberty right fielder Aaron Anderson singled in the contest to extend his reached base safely streak to a team-high 20 games.
Up Next
Liberty and Stetson will wrap up their three-game ASUN series, tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jonathan Gonzalez (3-3)
L: Gibson, Trey (3-1)
S: Rasesh Pandya (2)
Batting:
HR: Cameron Hill 1
RBI: Cameron Hill 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Cameron Hill 2 ; Andrew Estrella 1 ; Banks Griffith 1 ; Daniel Labrador 1
SB: Andrew Estrella 2
CS: Nick DiPonzio 1
Batting:
2B: Foster, Cam 1 ; Mathieu, Logan 1
RBI: Hillier, Three 1 ; Keeter, Nathan 1 ; Mathieu, Logan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gulakowski, Brady 1 ; Foster, Cam 1 ; Keeter, Nathan 1
SB: Keeter, Nathan 1
CS: Foster, Cam 1
HBP: Anderson, Aaron 1
