Friday, May 3
Lynchburg, Va.
4:30 PM
Liberty University
19-26, 9-7
7
vs
10
FIU
24-20, 11-8
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
FIU
2
0
1
0
0
6
0
1
0
10
13
2
Liberty
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
3
7
12
1
Liberty Splits Twinbill with FIU Friday
5/4/2024 2:14:00 AM | Baseball
LYNCHBURG, VA. – After dropping the first game 10-7, the Liberty Flames rebounded to defeat the FIU Panthers 11-5 in game 2 to split the CUSA doubleheader Friday at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
In the nightcap, Liberty plated eight runs on four hits in the fourth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit. Third baseman Cam Foster tied the contest with a three-run home run, his eighth of the year, and second baseman Aidan Sweat ripped a two-run double to give the Flames the lead in the inning. Relievers Ben Blair and Garrett McLaughlin only allowed an unearned run the rest of the way in the 11-5 Flames' victory.
Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh had two hits, including his fourth home run of the year, and scored three times in game two. Left fielder Brayden Horton had three hits and scored a run for the Flames.
In game one, FIU took a commanding lead with six runs in the sixth inning to build a 9-1 advantage and then held off a late charge by Liberty. The Flames scored two in the eighth and three in the ninth for the final score of 10-7.
Liberty designated hitter Todd Hudson had three hits, a double and a triple and knocked in three runs in the contest.
With the doubleheader split, Liberty improves to 10-7 in CUSA and 20-26 overall. FIU moves to 11-9 in CUSA and 24-21 overall.
Box Score Highlights
Records: FIU (24-21, 11-9 CUSA); Liberty 20-26, 10-7 CUSA)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
Game 1: WP: Zac Lampton (3-0) | LP: Cole Hertzler (5-5)
Game 2: WP: Ben Blair (4-4) | LP: Joel Pineiro (2-3)
Game 1 Scoring Summary
1st – FIU – Guida singles, West scores, 1-0
1st – FIU – Liquori doubles, Becerra scores, 2-0
2nd – LIBERTY – Hudson doubles, Dye scores, 2-1
3rd – FIU – Guida singles, Pitelli scores, 3-1
6th – FIU – Quevedo walks, Ulloa scores, 4-1
6th – FIU – Pitelli singles, Engelhard scores, 5-1
6th – FIU – West flies out, Dearing scores, 6-1
6th – FIU – Becerra singles, Quevedo scores, 7-1
6th – FIU – Liquori singles, Becerra and Pitelli score, 9-1
6th – LIBERTY – Hudson singles, Simmons scores, 9-2
8th – FIU – Guida singles, West scores, 10-2
8th – LIBERTY – Kepley singles, Marsh scores, 10-3
8th – LIBERTY – Sweatt flies out, Foster scores, 10-4
9th – LIBERTY – Hudson triples, Marsh scores, 10-5
9th – LIBERTY – Rabon triples, Hudson scores, 10-6
9th – LIBERTY – Kepley with a bunt single, Rabon scores, 10-7
Game 2 Scoring Summary
1st – FIU – Guida grounds out, West scores, 1-0
3rd – FIU -Guida homers, West and Martinez score, 4-0
3rd – LIBERTY – Marsh homers, 4-1
4th – LIBERTY – Foster homers, Hudson and Rabon score, 4-4
4th – LIBERTY – Sweatt doubles, Kepley and Marsh score, 6-4
4th – LIBERTY – Sweatt scores on a wild pitch, 7-4
4th – LIBERTY – Rabon reaches on a throwing error, Horton and Dye score, 9-4
6th – FIU – Becerra grounds out, Martinez scores, 9-5
6th – LIBERTY – Simmons scores on a wild pitch, 10-5
7th – LIBERTY – Sweatt grounds out, Marsh scores, 11-5
Notable Numbers
- FIU edged Liberty in hits, 13-12, in game one. The Flames outhit the Panthers, 11-8, in game two.
- FIU committed two errors in game one, while Liberty committed one. In game two, the Panthers committed two errors.
- Liberty left 13 men on base, while FIU left seven in game one. Each team left 10 men on base in game two.
- Flames first baseman John Simmons and center fielder Kane Kepley each had two hits in game one. Kepley had two RBI.
- Right fielder Noah Rabon had two hits and scored a run for Liberty in game two. Sweatt had three RBI in game two.
- Flames starting pitcher Cole Hertzler took the loss in game one. He gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked three.
- Blair picked up the win in game two. The second Flame to pitch in the game, he gave up an unearned run on three hits over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked six.
- McLaughlin did not allow a hit, while not allowing a run over the final 2 1/3 innings in game two. He struck out two and walked two.
- Zac Hampton, the second of four Panthers to pitch in game one, records the win. He gave up one run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
- FIU starting pitcher Joel Pineiro takes the game two loss. He allowed six runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four.
- Center field Armando Becerra went 4-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored in game one for the Panthers.
- FIU designated hitter Ryne Guida had three hits and three RBI in game one. He hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs in game two.
Beyond the Box Score
- Hudson tied his career-high with three hits in game one. It is the Liberty designated hitter's first three-hit game of 2024 and his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
- With three hits in game two and being hit by a pitch in game one, Flames left fielder Brayden Horton has now reached base streak in a team-high 24 consecutive games. His three-hit game in the nightcap was his fourth of the season and his 11th multi-hit game of the year.
- Kepley had a stolen base in each game of the doubleheader to tie for the CUSA lead with 18 stolen bases.
- McLaughlin has allowed only one run over 13 2/3 in his last nine appearances.
Up Next
Liberty and FIU Panthers are scheduled to meet in the rubber game of their three-game series tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. Game time is slated for 4 p.m.
In the nightcap, Liberty plated eight runs on four hits in the fourth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit. Third baseman Cam Foster tied the contest with a three-run home run, his eighth of the year, and second baseman Aidan Sweat ripped a two-run double to give the Flames the lead in the inning. Relievers Ben Blair and Garrett McLaughlin only allowed an unearned run the rest of the way in the 11-5 Flames' victory.
Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh had two hits, including his fourth home run of the year, and scored three times in game two. Left fielder Brayden Horton had three hits and scored a run for the Flames.
In game one, FIU took a commanding lead with six runs in the sixth inning to build a 9-1 advantage and then held off a late charge by Liberty. The Flames scored two in the eighth and three in the ninth for the final score of 10-7.
Liberty designated hitter Todd Hudson had three hits, a double and a triple and knocked in three runs in the contest.
With the doubleheader split, Liberty improves to 10-7 in CUSA and 20-26 overall. FIU moves to 11-9 in CUSA and 24-21 overall.
Box Score Highlights
Records: FIU (24-21, 11-9 CUSA); Liberty 20-26, 10-7 CUSA)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
Game 1: WP: Zac Lampton (3-0) | LP: Cole Hertzler (5-5)
Game 2: WP: Ben Blair (4-4) | LP: Joel Pineiro (2-3)
Game 1 Scoring Summary
1st – FIU – Guida singles, West scores, 1-0
1st – FIU – Liquori doubles, Becerra scores, 2-0
2nd – LIBERTY – Hudson doubles, Dye scores, 2-1
3rd – FIU – Guida singles, Pitelli scores, 3-1
6th – FIU – Quevedo walks, Ulloa scores, 4-1
6th – FIU – Pitelli singles, Engelhard scores, 5-1
6th – FIU – West flies out, Dearing scores, 6-1
6th – FIU – Becerra singles, Quevedo scores, 7-1
6th – FIU – Liquori singles, Becerra and Pitelli score, 9-1
6th – LIBERTY – Hudson singles, Simmons scores, 9-2
8th – FIU – Guida singles, West scores, 10-2
8th – LIBERTY – Kepley singles, Marsh scores, 10-3
8th – LIBERTY – Sweatt flies out, Foster scores, 10-4
9th – LIBERTY – Hudson triples, Marsh scores, 10-5
9th – LIBERTY – Rabon triples, Hudson scores, 10-6
9th – LIBERTY – Kepley with a bunt single, Rabon scores, 10-7
Game 2 Scoring Summary
1st – FIU – Guida grounds out, West scores, 1-0
3rd – FIU -Guida homers, West and Martinez score, 4-0
3rd – LIBERTY – Marsh homers, 4-1
4th – LIBERTY – Foster homers, Hudson and Rabon score, 4-4
4th – LIBERTY – Sweatt doubles, Kepley and Marsh score, 6-4
4th – LIBERTY – Sweatt scores on a wild pitch, 7-4
4th – LIBERTY – Rabon reaches on a throwing error, Horton and Dye score, 9-4
6th – FIU – Becerra grounds out, Martinez scores, 9-5
6th – LIBERTY – Simmons scores on a wild pitch, 10-5
7th – LIBERTY – Sweatt grounds out, Marsh scores, 11-5
Notable Numbers
- FIU edged Liberty in hits, 13-12, in game one. The Flames outhit the Panthers, 11-8, in game two.
- FIU committed two errors in game one, while Liberty committed one. In game two, the Panthers committed two errors.
- Liberty left 13 men on base, while FIU left seven in game one. Each team left 10 men on base in game two.
- Flames first baseman John Simmons and center fielder Kane Kepley each had two hits in game one. Kepley had two RBI.
- Right fielder Noah Rabon had two hits and scored a run for Liberty in game two. Sweatt had three RBI in game two.
- Flames starting pitcher Cole Hertzler took the loss in game one. He gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked three.
- Blair picked up the win in game two. The second Flame to pitch in the game, he gave up an unearned run on three hits over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked six.
- McLaughlin did not allow a hit, while not allowing a run over the final 2 1/3 innings in game two. He struck out two and walked two.
- Zac Hampton, the second of four Panthers to pitch in game one, records the win. He gave up one run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
- FIU starting pitcher Joel Pineiro takes the game two loss. He allowed six runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four.
- Center field Armando Becerra went 4-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored in game one for the Panthers.
- FIU designated hitter Ryne Guida had three hits and three RBI in game one. He hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs in game two.
Beyond the Box Score
- Hudson tied his career-high with three hits in game one. It is the Liberty designated hitter's first three-hit game of 2024 and his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
- With three hits in game two and being hit by a pitch in game one, Flames left fielder Brayden Horton has now reached base streak in a team-high 24 consecutive games. His three-hit game in the nightcap was his fourth of the season and his 11th multi-hit game of the year.
- Kepley had a stolen base in each game of the doubleheader to tie for the CUSA lead with 18 stolen bases.
- McLaughlin has allowed only one run over 13 2/3 in his last nine appearances.
Up Next
Liberty and FIU Panthers are scheduled to meet in the rubber game of their three-game series tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. Game time is slated for 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: LAMPTON, Zac (3-0)
L: Hertzler, Cole (5-5)
Batting:
2B: PITELLI, Nick 1
RBI: WEST,Brylan 1 ; BECERRA, Armando 1 ; GUIDA, Ryne 3 ; LIQUORI, Jeff 2 ; QUEVEDO, Roylan 1 ; PITELLI, Nick 1
SH: DEARING, Austin 1
SF: WEST,Brylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WEST,Brylan 2 ; BECERRA, Armando 2 ; ULLOA, Alex 1 ; ENGELHARD, Chase 1 ; DEARING, Austin 1 ; QUEVEDO, Roylan 1 ; PITELLI, Nick 2
SB: ULLOA, Alex 1
CS: ULLOA, Alex 1
HBP: WEST,Brylan 1 ; BECERRA, Armando 1 ; ENGELHARD, Chase 1
Batting:
2B: Hudson, Todd 1
3B: Hudson, Todd 1 ; Rabon, Noah 1
RBI: Kepley, Kane 2 ; Sweatt, Aidan 1 ; Hudson, Todd 3 ; Rabon, Noah 1
SF: Sweatt, Aidan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dye, Macaddin 1 ; Simmons, John 1 ; Marsh, Tanner 2 ; Foster, Cam 1 ; Hudson, Todd 1 ; Rabon, Noah 1
SB: Kepley, Kane 1 ; Sweatt, Aidan 1
HBP: Kepley, Kane 1 ; Horton, Brayden 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballINF
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