Liberty University
Winthrop
No. 21 Liberty Eases Past Winthrop 8-1
2/25/2022 8:36:00 PM | Baseball
The No. 21 Liberty Flames received solid pitching performances from Joe Adametz III and David Erickson, downing the Winthrop Eagles 8-1, Friday afternoon at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
The duo not only held the Eagles to one unearned run and five hits but combined to strike out 13 and walked two in the contest.
Center fielder Derek Orndorff and second baseman Cameron Foster each hit a three-run home run for the Flames. Orndorff's fourth home run in the fourth inning gave Liberty the lead, while Foster hit his first collegiate home run in the fifth inning.
Winners of four straight contests, Liberty improves to 4-1 on the season. Winthrop falls to 2-3.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Winthrop (2-3); Liberty (4-1)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: Joe Adametz III (1-1) | LP: Parker Whittle (0-1) | SV: David Erickson (1)
Scoring Summary
1st INNING – WU – Spyke singles, Tepper scores (unearned), 1-0
4th INNING – LIBERTY – Orndorff homers, Foster and Gulakowski score, 3-1
5th INNING – LIBERTY – Foster homers, Hill and Anderson score, 6-1
8th INNING – LIBERTY – Betts grounds out, Orndorff scores, 7-1
8th INNING – LIBERTY – Anderson singles, Keeter scores, 8-1
Notable Numbers
- Liberty outhit Winthrop, 8-5. The Flames committed the game's only error.
- The Flames left seven men on base. The Eagles left three.
- Liberty starting pitcher Adametz allowed an unearned run on five hits over the first six innings. The left-hander struck out seven and walked two to record his first win of 2022.
- Erickson earns his first save of the season, holding Winthrop without a run or a hit over the final three innings. The Liberty right-hander struck out six of the nine batters he faced, retiring the side in order in all three innings.
- Orndorff, right fielder Aaron Anderson and left fielder Nathan Keeter each had two hits apiece in the contest for the Flames.
- Winthrop starter Parker Whittle, the first of four Eagle pitchers in the contest, takes the loss. He gave up two runs on one hit over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
- Catcher Ty Hooks had two hits for the Eagles in the contest.
Turning Point
Held scoreless through the first three innings and trailing 1-0, Liberty took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth on Orndorff's home run. Designated hitter Brady Gulakowski was hit by a pitch and Foster walked to open the fourth against Whittle. The Eagles then made a pitching change, bringing in Macklin Ohs to face Orndorff. The Liberty outfielder greeted the right-hander by ripping a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for a 3-1 lead.
Beyond the Box Score
- Former foes in the Big South Conference, Liberty and Winthrop met for the 93rd time on the baseball diamond, this afternoon, but the first since 2018.
- Adametz, who missed the 2021 season due to injury, records his first win since pitching seven scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over Kent State on March 8, 2020. In addition, with seven strikeouts, Adametz ties his career-high in a game for the fifth time in his career.
- Orndorff recorded back-to-back multi-hit games. He now has two multi-hit games on the season.
- Anderson collected his second multi-hit game of the season in the victory.
- After picking up two hits against Florida in Liberty's season opener on Feb. 17, Keeter recorded his second multi-hit game of the year.
Up Next
Winthrop and Liberty will meet again in the middle game of their three-game series at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
