Liberty evened its record at 2-2 with a home opening win this week over North Carolina A&T. Any positive momentum that win created was undone with a tough weekend at nationally ranked TCU where the Flames were swept.

WEDNESDAY: LIBERTY 16, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 2

The Flames opened their home schedule in resounding fashion as the offense came to life Wednesday afternoon at Liberty Baseball Stadium as the Flames improved to 2-2 on the season.

Logan Mathieu hit a two-run home run in the 2nd inning to get the scoring started on an afternoon that reached 70 degrees in Lynchburg. The Flames would score 5 runs in the 2nd, 2 more in the 3rd, 6 in the 7th, and 3 in the 8th. Mathieu added a double with 2 RBIs and 3 runs.

Center fielder Jaylen Guy drove in a career high 3 RBIs with 2 hits, including a double, 2 runs and a steal. Right fielder Jake Wilson had 3 RBIs in his first start in a Liberty uniform while second baseman Josh Haney was 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored in his first Liberty start. Haney also hit his first home run as a Flame in the victory.

Making his first start of the season, right-hander Mason Hand pitched four scoreless innings, allowing two hits while tying a career-high with 6 strikeouts.

FRIDAY: TCU 4, LIBERTY 1

Trevor DeLaite made his second straight solid start to open a weekend series as the Maine transfer went 5 and 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk. After surrendering a home run in the first inning as the Flames fell behind 2-0 early, DeLaite shut down the Horned Frogs over the next 4 innings before allowing another home run in the 6th. Fraser Ellard and Garrett Cole pitched 2 and 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

The offense was unable to gain any traction on the evening though. Gray Betts hit his first home run of the season in the 3rd, and that would be all Liberty would be able to scratch against TCU pitchers Johnny Ray and Haylen Green.

SATURDAY GAME 1: TCU 9, LIBERTY 2

TCU scored 4 in the home half of the 2nd inning as the Horned Frogs seized control of the first game of the double-header early. Liberty starter Mason Meyer allowed 3 earned and 4 runs through 4 innings.

Liberty would scratch across a run in the 3rd, but were otherwise held scoreless until the game was out of reach. TCU scored 1 in the 6th, 3 in the 7th, and 1 in the 8th off Liberty relievers Dylan Cumming and Trey Carter as the Horned Frogs pushed their lead to 8-1 entering the 8th inning. The Flames and Horned Frogs would score 1 in the 8th for the final score.

Will Wagner hit a solo home run, his 2nd of the season, while Logan Mathieu drove in Gray Betts. Betts and left fielder Aaron Anderson each had 2 hits in the game, but the rest of the Liberty lineup struggled for just 4 more hits on the afternoon.

SATURDAY GAME 2: TCU 12, LIBERTY 2

TCU jumped out and scored 5 runs in the first two innings on Liberty freshman starter Trey Gibson who was only able to record 3 outs before giving 5 runs, 3 of them earned. Fraser Ellard, coming on in relief, held the Horned Frogs in check the rest of the 2nd and the 3rd as Liberty was able to get on the board in the top of the 4th, scoring 2, to cut the deficit to 5-2.

Any hopes the Flames had of making a comeback was quickly put away as TCU answered with 3 more runs in the 4th, 2 in the 5th, and 2 in the 6th to claim a series sweep. Right fielder Jake Wilson was 4 for 4 for Liberty in the game, scoring 1 run. The rest of the team combined for just 5 hits.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: JAKE WILSON

Outfielder Jake Wilson had at least one hit in each of the four games this week including 4 in the final game at TCU on Saturday. The transfer from Bowling Green finished the week with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored in the games this week as he finished 7 for 16 batting.

On the season, Wilson is second on the team with a .368 batting average with 4 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK: MASON HAND

Hand pitched 4 innings of scoreless baseball in Wednesday’s home opener against North Carolina A&T. He had 6 strikeouts in the game and picked up the win. The midweek starter also came in to face one batter in relief on Saturday at TCU, getting the out needed.

ON TAP

The Flames return home for another midweek game on Tuesday against Radford with first pitch scheduled for 4 pm. The Highlanders are currently 4-2 on the season after picking up two wins at home this weekend against Villanova, 5-3 and 6-1. Radford won a season opening series at home against Ohio, taking 2 of the 3 games, before losing at Virginia Tech, 22-2, in their only midweek game so far this season.

Liberty then hits the road to Orlando, Florida to face UCF for a three-game series with games currently scheduled for Friday at 6 pm, Saturday at 4 pm, and Sunday at noon. The Knights are 3-4 so far this season, losing 2 of 3 against Florida Atlantic to open the season. UCF lost to ASUN foe Stetson, 7-0, in a midweek game a week ago. UCF took 2 of 3 on the road at #1 Ole Miss this past weekend. UCF won 3-2 on Friday, before splitting a double-header on Saturday.