LYNCHBURG, Va. – Presbyterian College led early in its series opener at Liberty on Friday night, but the Flames scored seven straight runs to push past the Blue Hose, 9-5.
PC moves to 16-10 overall and 1-3 in the Big South. Liberty improves to 15-10 and evens its Big South record at 2-2.
Liberty's Alex Close hit two home runs—including a grand slam—for six RBI and keyed a five-run fifth inning for the Flames.
PC led 5-2 after four innings before Liberty scored seven answered to hand Beau Dees (Blenheim, S.C.) his second loss for a 2-2 record.
Tyler Weyenberg (Marietta, S.C.) went 3-for-4 and five different Blue Hose picked up an RBI. Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) reached base safely for the 12th straight game as well.
PC forced Liberty to leave the bases full in the first inning before AJ Priaulx (Warner Robins, Ga.) drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the third to score the game's first run. Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.) followed with a two-out RBI single to push PC's lead to 2-0.
Liberty's Close evened the score in the bottom of the frame by way of a two-run home run to left.
PC wasted little time in answering. Brandon Martin (Gray Court, S.C.) drew a leadoff walk to set up a Glen Casaceli (Jupiter, Fla.) RBI double down the left field line with nobody out. A Weyenberg sacrifice bunt brought up Ryan Hedrick (High Point, N.C.), who beat out a hard grounder to short for a 4-2 PC lead. Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) capped the scoring by knocking a run-scoring single to right that plated Hedrick and extended the visitors' edge to 5-2.
One scoreless inning later, the Flames' offense awoke in the fifth. Alex Close hit a no-out grand slam and Becker Sankey hit a solo home run as Liberty moved back ahead, 7-5. The Blue Hose turned the game over to Ethan Wortkoetter (Greer, S.C.), who worked out of his own bases-loaded jam to limit Liberty's damage and end the inning.
Sankey struck again in the sixth by knocking an 0-1 pitch to center for an RBI single and an 8-5 Liberty lead. PC nearly turned a double play in the seventh, but the runner beat the throw to first as Liberty scored its ninth run.
Wortkoetter pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Dees struck out six in his 4.1 innings of work and Trey Hayes (Belton, S.C.) pitched a scoreless eighth. Brian Kehner (Marietta, Ga.) and Russell Thompson (Alcolu, S.C.) combined to throw one inning and Kehner allowed one run.
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Presbyterian College 002 300 000 - 5 13 1 (16-10, 1-3 BSC)
Liberty............. 002 051 10X - 9 12 1 (15-10, 2-2 BSC)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; WORTKOETTER, Ethan(5); KEHNER, Brian(7);
THOMPSON, Russell(7); HAYES, Trey(8) and McRAE, Cam. Liberty - BEAN, P.; CLOWERS, S.(4) and
SANKEY, B..
Win-CLOWERS, S.(6-1) Loss-DEES, Beau(2-2) T-3;02 A-1505
HR LIBERTY - CLOSE, A. 2 (2); SANKEY, B. (5).
Weather: Cloudy, 46, wind ESE@4mph
