Home Liberty completes sweep of VMI baseball with 17-0 whitewash
Sports News

Liberty completes sweep of VMI baseball with 17-0 whitewash

Contributors

vmi_logoThe Liberty Flames scored five unearned runs in the first inning, a margin the VMI Keydets could not overcome as Liberty won the series finale between the clubs, 17-0, in Big South baseball action contested Sunday in Lynchburg, Va. With the win, Liberty (25-8, 11-1 Big South) swept the series from the Keydets as VMI suffered its first three-game losing skid since a four-game slide March 11-15.

After VMI (16-13, 6-6 Big South) was retired in the first inning, Liberty leadoff hitter Nick Lacik hit a fly ball to left field that was misjudged by Eric Mayers and tipped off his glove for a two-base error. That play opened the floodgates to five unearned runs, with a Ryan Seiz double getting the scoring underway.

Dalton Britt and Danny Grauer added RBI singles with two out, and Ashton Perritt drove home two runs to give the home team a lead it would not relinquish. Liberty went on to add three runs in the second, one in the third and four apiece in the fourth and fifth to account for the final margin.

The other story was on the mound, where Liberty’s Parker Bean fell just two outs shy of a no-hitter. Brandon Angus broke up the attempt with a clean single through the right side with one out in the ninth. Bean (5-1) finished with 16 strikeouts against four walks in 8 1/3 innings, while Andrew Woods (5-1) allowed eight runs, three earned, in 1 1/3 frames and suffered his first loss of the season.

Three different players had RBI’s for Liberty in the second as the home team extended the lead to eight, and additional scoring followed in the third, fourth and fifth. Lacik had doubles in three straight innings at one point, helping the Flames build their 17-0 lead before three VMI relievers – Ryan Bennett, Micah Gorman and Miles McQuaig – combined to allow just one hit over the final three innings.

Bean, meanwhile, cruised into the eighth but with one out, the Keydets had a near miss when Gary LeClair hit a ground ball deep in the hole between first and second base. First baseman Alex Close made a diving stop and fed the pitcher covering to just nip LeClair at the base and prolong the no-hit attempt.

Bean then recorded an additional two outs before Angus’ ninth-inning single ended his day.

The 17-run margin of defeat was VMI’s largest since falling 18-0 to Virginia Tech on May 2, 2012, and the 21 hits allowed were VMI’s most given up since April 1, 2012 against VCU. Seven Liberty players finished with multiple hits, led by Close’s 4 for 5.

VMI baseball returns to action at home Tuesday, taking on the Tribe of William & Mary. Game time at Gray-Minor Stadium is set for 6 p.m.

 

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

uva football pitt
Football

UVA Football: ‘Hoos snap three-game skid, pull upset at #18 Pitt, 24-19

uva football
Football

UVA Football: ‘Hoos upset #23 Pitt, 24-19

UVA Football (4-4, 2-3 ACC) was two minutes away from a 5-1 start, and now, on the heels of three straight losses, the 'Hoos start a tough closing stretch at #23 Pitt (7-1, 3-1 ACC) needing two wins to get to bowl eligibility.

college football
Football

ACC Football: #4 Miami upset at Georgia Tech, #23 Clemson wins at Virginia Tech

The road to the ACC Championship Game got a little bumpy for #4 Miami, which trailed most of the day on the way to a 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday.

staunton missing person
Local News

Missing person alert: Staunton Police seek assistance locating 36-year-old woman

hug between two people
Politics

Election 2024: From the reddest part of a blue state, I’m disappointed in you, America

wildfire
Virginia News

Forest Service: Elizabeth Fire forces closures in George Washington National Forest

congress
Politics

Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz targeted in attempted assassination plot