1-seed Liberty fell behind early in the semifinal elimination game against 6-seed Eastern Kentucky on Friday before the bats woke up and came from behind for a 18-9 win. A 10-run sixth inning for the Flames blew the game open. With the win, the Flames advance to Saturday’s ASUN Baseball Tournament Championship game for a third straight season.
Both teams finished pool play with unblemished 3-0 records with EKU making their way through Pool B and the Flames winning Pool A. The Colonels would strike first, getting to Liberty starter Joe Adametz for three runs on four hits in the top of the second to seize a 3-0 lead. After a Three Hillier leadoff home run for the Flames in the home half of the second made it 3-1, the Colonels quickly bounced back to push the lead back to three with a run in the third.
Liberty would continue to battle back, with Three Hillier providing more heroics, this one a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to bring the Flames within a run at 4-3. The Flames’ bats would remain hot moving into the middle innings. RBI singles by Nathan Keeter and Gray Betts in the fourth would give Liberty its first lead of the day at 5-4.
After Eastern Kentucky tied the game at five in the top of the fifth, Logan Mathieu ripped a ball off the center field wall for an RBI triple, scoring Hillier to put the Flames back in the lead. On the next pitch, Cam Foster absolutely destroyed a pitch for a two-run home run as Liberty grabbed an 8-5 lead.
The Flames would blow the game open in the bottom of the sixth with 10 runs. Mathieu launched a pitch over the fence for a grand slam to push the advantage to 14-5. A Derek Orndorff three-run home run pushed it to 18-5. The Flames would send 15 batters to the plate in the inning, scoring 10 runs on nine hits with two home runs, two walks, one hit batter, and four Eastern Kentucky pitchers used.
EKU would tack on three runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to make the final margin 18-9.
Mathieu finished the game three for five at the plate with a triple and a home run as he added three runs scored and five RBIs. Betts was four for six with two runs scored and an RBI. Hillier finished the day three for four with four runs, four RBIs and two home runs.
Joe Adametz was only able to get through 4.1 innings but he did strike out a career high nine. The Colonels were able to score five runs on five hits on the Liberty starter. Mason Fluharty was the first option head coach Scott Jackson turned to out of the bullpen. He would pitch 1.2 innings while allowing just one hit and striking out four. David Erickson tossed one inning, Landon Riley pitched 1.1 innings, and Jeremy Beamon came on to record the final two outs.
Liberty now advances to Saturday’s ASUN final, doing so for a third straight year. The Flames will be looking to secure its second league championship in three seasons. Liberty will play the winner of 2-seed Lipscomb and 3-seed Kennesaw State on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a game that will be streamed on ESPN+.
With a win Saturday, Liberty would secure the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. If the Flames were to lose, the team would be squarely on the bubble and would be sweating out Monday’s selection show.
The Flames are 1-0 against Lipscomb this season, having defeated the Bisons by a score of 10-2 on Thursday, the third day of pool play. Liberty is 4-3 against Kennesaw State this season, including a 12-6 win against the Owls on Wednesday as part of pool play.
Coach Jackson will hand the ball to Trey Gibson to start the game. He also has top bullpen arms Trey Carter and closer Cade Hungate who have not pitched yet this week.
