Liberty Flames Baseball swept their weekend series with VCU to kick start the 2018 season. The Flames won Friday 5-4 and took the double header Sunday 14-10 and 4-2 respectively. The most notable game of the weekend was game one of the double header, which saw VCU jump out to a 8-3 lead in the top of the 4th inning before the Flames would come back and eventually take the lead for good on a bases clearing double by DJ Artis.

It’s a small sample size with 3 games in the books for the 2018 season, but this team looks like it’s going to compete well moving forward. The injury to NC State transfer, and Friday’s starter, Evan Brabrand will be something to keep an eye with the team already being a little thin in the pitching department.

The comeback win in game one of the double header on Sunday covered up the fact that Jackson Bertsch had a less than stellar first outing of the 2018 season. This team will once again go as far as it’s pitching will take them.

Pitcher of the Weekend:

Noah Skirrow (1-0, 5.2IP, 0ER, 2 hits, 1 BB) – Coach Jackson said in an interview with Nick Pierce of the LFSN last week that freshman Noah Skirrow might have the best stuff of any pitcher on the team. He lived up to that hype in the second game of the double header. It’s a small sample size, but Skirrow looks like he has some nasty stuff and will be a lot of fun to watch the rest of the season.

Hitter of the weekend:

Dylan Allen (.333 BA, 2 Hits, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 BB, .714 OBP, 5 RS) – Allen had a great start to the 2018 campaign. Perhaps not so much because of the balls he was able to put in play, though he homered once and had 3 RBI’s, but because of fact that he was able to draw 8 walks on the weekend. Allen was seeing the ball incredibly well all weekend which led him to that .714 OBP over the weekend series which helped propel the Flames to the weekend series sweep.

A look around the Big South:

Gardner-Webb started their season by going 3-1 with wins over Navy, Georgetown, and Wake Forest. Beyond GW there isn’t much else to mention with 4 Big South teams still looking for their first win of the year.

Up Next for the Flames:

-The Flames have a midweek matchup (Tuesday – 3PM) at home with JMU (3-0) who swept their opening weekend series with High Point.

-This weekend the Bearcats of Binghamton University (1-2) come to town for a three games series. The Bearcats were voted to finish first in the America East Conference Preseason poll.