Liberty (13-5, 1-2 Conference USA) split their four games this week, opening the stretch with a high-scoring midweek victory at UNCG before dropping their first two Conference USA games of the season and the series against Missouri State at Worthington Field. The Flames rebounded in the finale to avoid the sweep. Liberty finished the week 2-2, moving to 13-5 overall and 1-2 in CUSA play.
Tuesday: Liberty 12, UNCG 10
Liberty continues to show out in the midweek.
The Flames broke open the game with a four-run fifth inning and added two more runs in the sixth to build an 11-4 lead. Tucker Moore and Riley DeCandido each hit two home runs in the contest, while Josh Campos added another as Liberty recorded its highest home run total of the season.
The Spartans would threaten in the ninth after loading the bases with no outs, but Tyler August retired the next three batters and struck out the final hitter to secure the save and seal a 12-10 victory for the Navy and Red.
Liberty slugged a season-high five home runs in the victory, highlighted by two home runs each from Tucker Moore and Riley DeCandido. Tanner Marsh paced the offense with a 4-for-6 performance and two stolen bases, while Nick Barone added three hits and scored three runs. The Flames totaled 14 hits and built a seven-run lead before Tyler August closed the game with a scoreless ninth inning.
Friday Game 1: Liberty 3, Missouri State 4
Missouri State scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and held off the Flames in the ninth, as Liberty dropped their CUSA opener.
The Flames were able to build an early 2-0 lead before the Bears tied the game with runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Liberty briefly regained the lead in the seventh when Tanner Marsh delivered an RBI double, but Missouri State responded in the eighth with a two-run home run to move ahead 4-3.
Ben Blair delivered six strong innings, allowing one run while striking out eight. Tanner Marsh led Liberty once again with two hits, including a double and triple, extending his hitting streak to 13 games while reaching base safely for the 16th consecutive contest.
Saturday Game 2: Liberty 11, Missouri State 12
Liberty allowed four runs in the top of the ninth inning to secure the series win and hand the Flames their second consecutive one-run loss this past Saturday afternoon.
Leading 11-8 entering the final inning, the Flames saw the Bears quickly cut into the lead with a leadoff home run before a pair of run-scoring hits gave Missouri State the edge. Liberty moved the tying run into scoring position with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Bears would record the final out to secure the victory.
Jordan Jaffe led the Flames with three hits, including a double, while Ryan Drumm collected two hits, drove in two runs, and scored four times. Tanner Marsh also homered for Liberty as part of a five-run fourth inning that helped the Flames build an early lead. The Bears out-hit the Flames by 1 (13-12), just as the Bears outscored the Flames by one run.
Sunday Game 3: Liberty 9, Missouri State 3
The Flames avoided being swept Sunday afternoon, getting a much-needed 9-3 victory over the Bears to secure their first conference win.
Jaffe continued his hot hitting performance from Saturday, driving in four runs for the Flames, including a two-run home run in the first inning (his first as a Flame) to give Liberty the lead. He added a two-run single in the second as Liberty quickly built a 4-2 advantage.
The Flames pulled away in the sixth inning, scoring four runs to extend the lead to 9-2. Ryan Drumm delivered a two-run single in the frame after RBI hits from Riley DeCandido and a sacrifice fly from Josh Campos.
Bradley Zayac got the win for Liberty, striking out a career-high 10 over six innings without issuing a walk, while Cooper Harrington recorded the save with three innings of relief. Tanner Marsh extended his hitting streak to 15 games and continues to reach base in every game this season.
Conference Play Struggles Again?
It is no secret that the Flames have struggled in conference play since joining Conference USA. Liberty has yet to post a winning record in CUSA since becoming a member, and losing the opening series at home to a conference newcomer probably does not give fans much hope that anything has changed for 2026. However, context matters. The Bears appear to be really good. Missouri State currently sits at 11th in the entire country in RPI, as 12 out of their 19 games have all come against Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponents. Despite the tough schedule, the Bears are 12-7 and have beaten and competed with some really good teams. Liberty lost both games in the series by a combined two runs, so there is no reason to believe that they can’t compete in Conference USA this season. With that being said, losing a home series to a fellow potential contender does not bode well for the standings, and the Flames will need to learn to close out these close games if they hope to compete for a CUSA title and NCAA Regionals bid.
UP NEXT: Liberty (13-5) (1-2) has a huge week ahead of them, with a pair of Power 4 Top 25 midweek opponents and a big conference weekend series ahead. The Flames will travel to Winston-Salem to face #24 Wake Forest (15-5) on Tuesday night, before returning home to host the 9th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (16-4) on Wednesday. Both games will begin at 4:00 PM EST, and you can watch Liberty vs Wake Forest on the ACCNX and Liberty vs Virginia on ESPN+. The Flames will then conclude the week in Georgia, with a huge weekend road series vs Kennesaw State (8-8). Despite their .500 record, the Owls are a team expected to compete in Conference USA and, like the Flames, are coming off an opening conference series loss (to MTSU). Winning this series would go a long way in getting Liberty back on track for competing in Conference USA.
