Liberty baseball finished the week 2-2 to improve to 27-10 overall and remains 11-1 in ASUN play following a week of games out of conference. The Flames have now won six straight three-game series this season dating back to the end of February when Liberty was swept by TCU. Second baseman Will Wagner, last week’s ASUN and ASOR Player of the Week, was injured Friday night against Coastal Carolina and did not play the rest of the weekend. Liberty coach Scott Jackson said he hopes Wagner will be able to play this coming week.

TUESDAY: DUKE 7, LIBERTY 0

The Duke Blue Devils dealt the Flames its first home loss of the season on Tuesday evening at Liberty Baseball Stadium. Liberty had won its first 14 home games of the year and entered the game with a 16 game home win streak, the fourth longest active streak in the country. Liberty’s overall eight game win streak came to an end with the loss as well.

Dylan Cumming made his second start of the season after shutting down Virginia Tech last Tuesday. He was very effective through the first five innings, keeping Duke off the scoreboard. With the game still scoreless in the sixth inning, Duke left fielder RJ Schreck hit a three-run home run to give Duke a 3-0 lead it would not relinquish. Cumming finished the game pitching 5.1 innings with 8 strikeouts, 2 walks, 4 hits, and 3 runs allowed.

Liberty was held scoreless by five Duke pitchers as the Flames were shut out for the first time this season despite Will Wagner’s three hits, including a double. Liberty left 11 runners on base in the contest.

FRIDAY: LIBERTY 7, COASTAL CAROLINA 2

Trevor DeLaite picked up his 6th win of the season after allowing two runs in six innings while David Erickson, Mason Fluharty, and Fraser Ellard combined to throw three innings of scoreless relief to help the Flames to a win in the series opener Friday night.

Brady Gulakowski drove in two runs in the first with an RBI single to put Liberty ahead. Coastal Carolina would tie the game in the 5th before the Flames took control. Jake Wilson’s RBI sac fly broke the tie and a wild pitch and Cam Locklear double gave Liberty a 5-2 lead at the end of six innings. Trey McDyre hit a triple and then scored on a throwing error by the left fielder and the Flames added another run on a wild pitch for two insurance runs in the 8th inning.

Will Wagner was injured and left the game in the 4th inning after a collision in the outfield between the second baseman and Liberty center fielder Jaylen Guy. The two collided while fielding a popup. Guy remained in the game, but Wagner retured to the Flames’ dugout and was replaced by Josh Haney.

SATURDAY: COASTAL CAROLINA 2, LIBERTY 0

Coastal Carolina junior right hander Nick Parker entered Saturday’s game with a 4.22 ERA and having allowed at least two runs in every outing this season. That wouldn’t be the case on a chilly Saturday at Liberty Baseball Stadium where Parker pitched 7 innings of scoreless baseball while allowing four hits, two walks and striking out six as the Chanticleers evened the series.

Liberty was shutout at home for the second time in three games. Flames catcher Gray Betts sees his hitting streak come to an end at 21 games, as he did not get a hit in the contest. He did walk to extend his reached base safely streak to 25 consecutive games. Both are the longest for a Flame this season.

Flames’ second baseman Will Wagner did not play after suffering an injury Friday night when he collided with Jaylen Guy on a popup. While Liberty is hopeful Wagner will be able to return next week, Josh Haney took his place in the field and lineup for the reigning ASUN player of the week. Haney struggled out the plate, finishing the day 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and leaving three on base. He struck out and was the third out in the 2nd inning with runners on 1st and 2nd and in the 4th inning with a runner on 2nd.

Nick Willard starting the contest for the Flames, pitching 3.2 innings while allowing one run on four hits. Mason Meyer came on in relief and pitched 5.1 innings while allowing one run on four hits.

SUNDAY: LIBERTY 6, COASTAL CAROLINA 4

The Flames were able to win the series on Sunday afternoon in a tight one, escaping with a 6-4 win. After Liberty grabbed 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Garrett Wilkinson, the Chanticleers were able to chase freshman pitcher Trey Gibson as their bats heated up and plated three runs in the frame. Fraser Ellard came on in relief to get out of the bases loaded jam and keep Liberty within striking distance.

Liberty would add a run in the 2nd on an RBI single by Gray Betts, another in the 4th on a Brady Gulakowski home run over the right field wall to tie the score, and took the lead in the 5th following a Trey McDyre triple and a squeeze bunt by Jake Wilson. McDyre had an excellent slide to avoid the tag and get to the plate.

Ellard and Mason Fluharty quieted Coastal’s bats in the middle innings, but the Chanticleers were able to tie the game at 4 in the 7th inning. CCU manufactured a run on David Erickson, scoring on what would have been an inning ending double play, but the runner on first was going on the pitch and shortstop Cam Locklear’s only play was to first as the runner scored from 3rd.

In the bottom of the 8th, Brandon Rohrer stepped to the play with runners on the corners and two outs. The veteran outfielder roped a ball to left field which was misplayed by the Coastal defender and got all the way to the wall, scoring both runs as Liberty regained the lead.

Landon Riley would come on in the 9th inning, and after letting the first two batters reach base, he shut down Coastal to help Liberty close the door on the game and the series.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BRADY GULAKOWSKI

He only played in two games this week, but it was the two games the Flames won and Gulakowski made an impact at the plate in each. Liberty’s DH finished the week 4 of 7 at the plate with 4 runs scored and 3 RBI’s, playing in both Friday night and Sunday afternoon’s wins.

Gulakowski entered Sunday’s game with a .267 batting average in 75 at bats this season, as he has made an appearance in 27 games, getting the start 19 times. He now has 3 home runs on the season.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK: MASON FLUHARTY

Fluharty hasn’t been the most consistent arm out of the bullpen for Scott Jackson this season, but he was effective this week, making an appearance in both wins for the Flames against the Chanticleers. On Friday, Mason pitched one inning without allowing a hit or a run and striking out two. Sunday, Fluharty went two innings through the middle innings without allowing a run and only one base runner as he allowed the Liberty batters the needed time to put some needed runs on the scoreboard. Fluharty entered the game Sunday with a 5.91 ERA in 10.2 innings of work this season.

ON TAP

Liberty will hit the road for a quick one game road trip in Charlottesville looking to take the season series against the Virginia Cavaliers. The Flames defeated UVA, 10-2, in Lynchburg on March 24. The Cavaliers are 19-19 overall and 11-16 in ACC play so far this season and are coming off a series win at home over Duke. Game is scheduled for Tuesday at 3 pm.

This weekend, the Flames will return home to and will be back in ASUN action hosting Bellarmine for a three-game set beginning Friday at 6 pm. Liberty will be looking to exact some revenge from the team’s only conference loss so far this season as the Flames dropped one of three games in Louisville against the Knights in late March.

ASUN STANDINGS

Liberty……………………..11-1 ASUN…27-10 overall
Kennesaw State………12-3 ASUN…24-11 overall
FGCU………………………8-4 ASUN…22-14 overall
Stetson……………………8-4 ASUN…22-14 overall
North Florida……………8-4 ASUN…14-16 overall
Bellarmine……………….7-11 ASUN…12-24 overall
Lipscomb………………..5-10 ASUN…13-22 overall
North Alabama……….4-14 ASUN…5-32 overall
Jacksonville……………0-12 ASUN…7-26 overall