Liberty University
11-6
Western Carolina
7-9
Liberty Extends Winning Streak to Five with 4-2 Win over Western Carolina
3/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Liberty Flames extended their winning streak to a season-high five games, downing the Western Carolina Catamounts, 4-2, in game four of the Liberty Invitational, Saturday night at the Liberty Baseball Stadium. The Flames' win streak tops their previous high of four straight from Feb. 22 through March 1.
Left fielder Andrew Yacyk collected his second three-hit game of the season and scored a run for the Flames in the victory. The sophomore now leads Liberty with eight multi-hit games.
With its second win on Saturday, Liberty moves to 11-6 on the season. The Flames defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions, 7-6, earlier in the day. Western Carolina falls to 7-9.
Scoreless through the first three innings, Liberty struck for three runs in the fourth. Second baseman Nick Salisbury led off the home half of the inning with a double and moved to third base on a single by Yacyk. After catcher Becker Sankey walked to load the bases, shortstop Dalton Britt also walked, forcing in a run for a 1-0 advantage. A fielder's choice ground ball by designated hitter Derek Perry then plated Yacyk. When Catamounts second baseman J.D. Long's throw to first in an attempt to turn a double play went wide of first base on Perry's grounder, Sankey scored to give Liberty a 3-0 lead it never relinquished.
Western Carolina plated its first run of the contest in the top of the fifth. With one out, third baseman Reece Strong hit his first home run of the season to cut the Flames' lead to 3-1. Liberty right fielder Tray Roberts jumped in an attempt to make the catch, only to see the ball hit off his glove and go over the fence.
In the bottom of the inning, Liberty answered with a run of its own. Roberts opened the frame by lining a triple into the left field corner. Center fielder Aaron Stroosma followed with a squeeze bunt to score Roberts for a 4-1 Liberty lead.
The Catamounts scored the final run of the contest in the sixth. Back-to-back two-out singles by center fielder Bradley Strong and catcher Danny Bermudez plated a run for what proved to be the final score of 4-2.
The Liberty trio of pitchers Ashton Perritt, Caleb Evans, and Alex Close held the Western Carolina bats in check throughout the contest.
Perritt records his first win of 2015. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, moving his record to 1-2 on the season. He struck out three and walked two batters.
Evans followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. The right-hander yielded one hit and walked one batter.
Close retired the side in order in the ninth to record Liberty's first save of the year. The senior struck out two batters in closing out the Flames' victory.
Western Carolina left-hander Brendan Nail falls to 1-2. The left-hander gave up four runs on five hits over the first five innings. The first of three Catamounts to pitch in the game, he struck out three and walked three batters.
Liberty collected eight hits in the contest. Western Carolina had five.
The Flames' victory was the second in as many days over the Catamounts. Liberty defeated Western Carolina, 5-1, Friday.
Liberty will host the Penn State Nittany Lions in the final game of the Liberty Invitational, Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Perritt, Ashton (1-2)
L: Brendan Nail (1-2)
S: Close, Alex (1)
Batting:
HR: Reece Strong 1
RBI: Danny Bermudez 1 ; Reece Strong 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brett Pope 1 ; Reece Strong 1
Batting:
2B: Salisbury, Nick 1 ; Taormina, Sammy 1
3B: Roberts, Tray 1
RBI: Stroosma, Aaron 1 ; Britt, Dalton 1 ; Perry, Derek 1
SH: Stroosma, Aaron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Salisbury, Nick 1 ; Yacyk, Andrew 1 ; Sankey, Becker 1 ; Roberts, Tray 1
