Liberty University
33-21, 16-8
High Point
27-24, 14-10
Perritt Comes Up Big in Final Home Game, as Flames Defeat Panthers, 8-7
5/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Liberty outfielder Ashton Perritt hit a home run in the eighth inning to give the Flames the lead and threw out the would-be tying run at home plate to end the game. The pair of plays helped Liberty defeat the High Point Panthers, 8-7, Saturday afternoon, at Liberty Baseball Stadium to close out the 2015 regular season.
Playing in his final career home game, Perritt posted his fourth three-hit contest, collecting two doubles and his fifth home run of the year. The senior drove in two runs, including the Flames' go-ahead run on his round tripper, and scored three times.
Fellow senior Alex Close drove in three runs with two hits, including his seventh home run of the season. The first baseman/pitcher has hit four home runs in his last seven games. In addition, he pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to pick up the victory.
Liberty closes out its regular season with 16-8 record in Big South play and a 33-21 overall record. With the win in the Big South contest, the Flames salvage the third game of the three-game series. High Point finishes the regular season with a 14-10 mark in conference and 27-24 overall.
The Panthers opened the contest with two runs in their opening at bat. With one out, the next three High Point batters singled to load the bases. Left fielder Conor Jackson then plated the game's first run with a fielder's choice ground out for a 1-0 Panthers' edge. Shortstop Tony Fortier-Bensen followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-0 advantage.
Liberty struck for four runs in the second. Designated hitter Andrew Yacyk singled and moved to third on a throwing error by Panthers' third baseman Peter Ripke on a bunt single by center fielder Aaron Stroosma. Third baseman Clay Keranen then plated the first Flames' run of the afternoon with a sacrifice fly. Perritt followed with a two-run double into the left center field gap, putting the Flames in front, 3-2. Two batters later, Close singled with two outs, scoring Perritt to give Liberty a 4-2 advantage.
High Point closed to within one in the third. Second baseman Chris Clare singled and moved to third on a ground-rule double by first baseman Josh Spano. Designated hitter Spencer Angelis followed with a RBI ground out, trimming the Flames' lead to 4-3.
During the fourth, each team plated runs. With one out in the top of the inning, pinch hitter Hunter Lee hit his first home run of the year, briefly tying the game at 4-4.
Liberty answered in the bottom of the inning to take its second lead of the contest. Perritt walked with one out and stole second base. Shortstop Dalton Britt followed with a single to cash in Perritt for a 5-4 edge.
The Flames extended their advantage with two runs in the sixth. With two away, Britt singled back through the middle of the infield. Close followed with a home run off the scoreboard in left-center field to give Liberty a 7-4 lead.
In the top of the eighth, the Panthers once again tied the contest. With pinch hitter Dominic Fazio on first, a throwing error by the Flames' Close trying to get the lead runners at second on a ground ball by center fielder Dane McDermott put runners at the corners with one out. Right fielder Brady Williamson followed with a two-run triple, cutting the Liberty advantage to 7-6. Clare then singled to knot the game at 7-7.
In the bottom of the inning, Perritt belted the first pitch thrown by High Point reliever Michael Hennessy over the center field wall to give Liberty an 8-7 advantage.
High Point rallied in the ninth. Pinch hitter Josh Greene walked and advanced to second on a fielding error on ground ball to second by Keranen. McDermott followed with a sharp single to left field, which Perritt quickly fielded and threw Greene out at the plate attempting to score for the final out of the contest.
Close, the final of four Liberty pitchers in the contest, moves to 2-2 on the season. He pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and walking two batters.
Hennessy drops to 2-5. He gave up the home run to Perritt in his lone inning of work. He struck out one and walked one.
Liberty collected 11 hits. Britt and Yacyk joined Close with two hits apiece for the Flames. High Point recorded 12 hits. In the back-and-forth affair, Liberty left eight men on base, while High Point left 11.
With the regular season complete, the Flames now travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. for the 2015 Big South Baseball Championship, which begins on Tuesday.
Liberty will be the No. 4 seed for the double-elimination tournament and will play in the final game of the day against No. 5 seed High Point. The contest at John Henry Moss Stadium is scheduled to begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the Game 3 between top seed Radford and Longwood, which begins at 4:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Close, Alex (2-2)
L: HENNESSEY, Michael (2-5)
Batting:
2B: SPANO, Josh 1
3B: WILLIAMSON, Brady 1
HR: LEE, Hunter 1
RBI: WILLIAMSON, Brady 2 ; CLARE, Chris 1 ; ANGELIS, Spencer 1 ; JACKSON, Carson 1 ; FORTIER-BENSEN, Tony 1 ; LEE, Hunter 1
SH: MCDERMOTT, Dane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WILLIAMSON, Brady 1 ; CLARE, Chris 2 ; SPANO, Josh 1 ; FAZIO, Dominic 1 ; LEE, Hunter 1 ; MCDERMOTT, Dane 1
SB: WILLIAMSON, Brady 1 ; ANGELIS, Spencer 1
Batting:
2B: Perritt, Ashton 2
HR: Perritt, Ashton 1 ; Close, Alex 1
RBI: Perritt, Ashton 2 ; Britt, Dalton 1 ; Close, Alex 3 ; Keranen, Clay 1 ; Salisbury, Nick 1
SH: Salisbury, Nick 1
SF: Keranen, Clay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perritt, Ashton 3 ; Britt, Dalton 1 ; Close, Alex 1 ; Yacyk, Andrew 1 ; Stroosma, Aaron 1 ; Salisbury, Nick 1
SB: Perritt, Ashton 1 ; Britt, Dalton 1 ; Salisbury, Nick 1
