Saturday, April 5
Lynchburg, Va.
2:00 PM ET
Liberty University
21-11, 4-4
5
vs
4
Middle Tennessee
15-15, 2-6
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9
10
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
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0
4
5
2
Liberty
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
1
5
8
1
Christmas Belts Walk-off Home Run for 5-4 10 Inning Win over MTSU
4/5/2025 7:03:00 PM | Baseball
LYNCHBURG, VA. – Liberty catcher Seth Christmas led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a home run to give the Flames a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Saturday afternoon at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
After Middle Tennessee rallied with two runs in the ninth to tie the contest at 4-4, Christmas, who homered in Liberty's win on Friday, ripped a 2-1 pitch over the center wall for the victory. Christmas's second home run of the season hands the Flames the series win.
Designated hitter Kenny McKinley broke up a pitcher's duel between Liberty's Ben Blair and Middle Tennessee's Drew Horn in the fifth with a two-run home run to stake the Blue Raiders to a 2-0 lead. Two innings later, the Flames answered with four runs in the seventh inning for a 4-2 advantage.
Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh led all hitters in the game with three hits and scored a run.
The Flames even their CUSA record at 4-4 and move to 21-11 overall. The Blue Raiders fall to 2-6 in conference and 15-15 overall.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Middle Tennessee (15-15, 2-6 CUSA); Liberty (21-11, 4-4 CUSA)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: Joseph Webb (2-1) | LP: Ollie Akerns (2-1)
Scoring Summary
5th – MTSU – McKinley homers, Vondohlen scores, 2-0
7th – LIBERTY – Barone doubles, Marsh and Early score, 2-2
7th – LIBERTY – Troyer singles, Barone and Sorenson score, 4-2
9th – MTSU – Badylak doubles, Vondohlen scores, 4-3
9th – MTSU – Ray flies out, Badylak scores, 4-4
10th – LIBERTY – Christmas homers, 5-4
Notable Numbers
- Liberty out-hit Middle Tennessee, 8-5, in the contest. The Blue Raiders committed two errors in the game, while the Flames made one.
- Liberty left 11 men on base. Middle Tennessee left four.
- Flames starting pitcher Ben Blair allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings. He struck out 11 and walked two.
- Liberty reliever Joseph Webb records his second win of the season. He gave up two runs on two hits over three innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
- Middle Tennessee starting pitcher Drew Horn pitched five scoreless innings. The right-hander yielded three hits. He struck out five and walked four.
- The third Blue Raiders pitcher in the contest, Ollie Akens, takes the loss. The right-handed reliever allowed one run on one hit over 2/3 of an inning. He struck out one and walked one.
- McKinley hit his fifth home run of the season.
- First baseman Brett Vondohlen had two hits and scored two runs for Middle Tennessee.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty runs its record to 16-4 at home at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The Flames are 2-1 in extra-inning games this season.
- Liberty is 16-2 when leading after seven innings.
- All three of Christmas' hits in the series have scored runs. On Friday, the catcher hit a two-run home run and had a two-run single.
- Marsh records his third three-hit game of the year and leads the Flames with 11 multiple-hit games this season. The shortstop has at least one hit in 10 consecutive games, the longest for a Liberty player this season. He has also reached base in 15 straight contests.
- Blair tied career-highs with seven innings pitched and 11 strikeouts.
- Second baseman Callum Early extended his on-base streak to a team-high 21 games with a single in the seventh.
Up Next
Liberty and Middle Tennessee will wrap up their CUSA series tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for Noon p.m.
After Middle Tennessee rallied with two runs in the ninth to tie the contest at 4-4, Christmas, who homered in Liberty's win on Friday, ripped a 2-1 pitch over the center wall for the victory. Christmas's second home run of the season hands the Flames the series win.
Designated hitter Kenny McKinley broke up a pitcher's duel between Liberty's Ben Blair and Middle Tennessee's Drew Horn in the fifth with a two-run home run to stake the Blue Raiders to a 2-0 lead. Two innings later, the Flames answered with four runs in the seventh inning for a 4-2 advantage.
Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh led all hitters in the game with three hits and scored a run.
The Flames even their CUSA record at 4-4 and move to 21-11 overall. The Blue Raiders fall to 2-6 in conference and 15-15 overall.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Middle Tennessee (15-15, 2-6 CUSA); Liberty (21-11, 4-4 CUSA)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: Joseph Webb (2-1) | LP: Ollie Akerns (2-1)
Scoring Summary
5th – MTSU – McKinley homers, Vondohlen scores, 2-0
7th – LIBERTY – Barone doubles, Marsh and Early score, 2-2
7th – LIBERTY – Troyer singles, Barone and Sorenson score, 4-2
9th – MTSU – Badylak doubles, Vondohlen scores, 4-3
9th – MTSU – Ray flies out, Badylak scores, 4-4
10th – LIBERTY – Christmas homers, 5-4
Notable Numbers
- Liberty out-hit Middle Tennessee, 8-5, in the contest. The Blue Raiders committed two errors in the game, while the Flames made one.
- Liberty left 11 men on base. Middle Tennessee left four.
- Flames starting pitcher Ben Blair allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings. He struck out 11 and walked two.
- Liberty reliever Joseph Webb records his second win of the season. He gave up two runs on two hits over three innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
- Middle Tennessee starting pitcher Drew Horn pitched five scoreless innings. The right-hander yielded three hits. He struck out five and walked four.
- The third Blue Raiders pitcher in the contest, Ollie Akens, takes the loss. The right-handed reliever allowed one run on one hit over 2/3 of an inning. He struck out one and walked one.
- McKinley hit his fifth home run of the season.
- First baseman Brett Vondohlen had two hits and scored two runs for Middle Tennessee.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty runs its record to 16-4 at home at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The Flames are 2-1 in extra-inning games this season.
- Liberty is 16-2 when leading after seven innings.
- All three of Christmas' hits in the series have scored runs. On Friday, the catcher hit a two-run home run and had a two-run single.
- Marsh records his third three-hit game of the year and leads the Flames with 11 multiple-hit games this season. The shortstop has at least one hit in 10 consecutive games, the longest for a Liberty player this season. He has also reached base in 15 straight contests.
- Blair tied career-highs with seven innings pitched and 11 strikeouts.
- Second baseman Callum Early extended his on-base streak to a team-high 21 games with a single in the seventh.
Up Next
Liberty and Middle Tennessee will wrap up their CUSA series tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for Noon p.m.
B10: SENT THAT TO THE NORTH POLE ??
— Liberty Baseball (@LibertyBaseball) April 5, 2025
SETH CHRISTMAS WALKS IT OFF!!! pic.twitter.com/l9AWDXzYqd
NICK BARONE CAN'T BE HUMAN ??#SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/BUN7XJ0Ezv
— Liberty Baseball (@LibertyBaseball) April 5, 2025
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Webb, Joseph (2-1)
L: Ollie Akens (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Brett Vondohlen 1 ; Clay Badylak 1
HR: Kenny McKinley 1
RBI: Clay Badylak 1 ; Kenny McKinley 2 ; Keaton Ray 1
SF: Keaton Ray 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brett Vondohlen 2 ; Clay Badylak 1 ; Kenny McKinley 1
CS: Keaton Ray 1
HBP: Matt Wolfe 1
Batting:
2B: Barone, Nick 1
HR: Christmas, Seth 1
RBI: Barone, Nick 2 ; Troyer, Camden 2 ; Christmas, Seth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Early, Callum 1 ; Marsh, Tanner 1 ; Sorenson, Jaxon 1 ; Barone, Nick 1 ; Christmas, Seth 1
SB: Marsh, Tanner 1
CS: Robertson, Michael 1
HBP: Barone, Nick 1
PO: Marsh, Tanner 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
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