Liberty Pulls Away Late, Topping Flashes

Sunday, March 8

Lynchburg, VA

1:00 p.m.

Kent State University

7-7

Liberty University

10-6

Kent State

Liberty

3/8/2020 3:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

LYNCHBURG, VA- Liberty scored a run in the fifth inning, then piled on late insurance runs to take the rubber match of the three-game series, 7-0 on Sunday afternoon.

The Flashes had their chances early, getting a runner into scoring position in four of the first five innings, and each of the first three. For the second-straight day, the key big hit eluded the Flashes and they were held off the scoreboard. In total, Kent State was limited to five hits, with five different players reaching safely.

Ryan Lane worked out of trouble in the first, stranding a pair of runners. He again flirted with trouble, but sandwiched three flyouts in between two singles and a walk. Liberty again loaded the bases in the fourth, but Lane again side-stepped trouble getting a harmless flyout and popout to end the threat.

The Flames broke through in the fifth, backing up a single with a run-scoring double, ending Lane's day. The righty went 4 and a third, allowed one run on eight hits and struck out two. Trevor Pittman came on in relief and limited the damage to the one run and worked a scoreless sixth inning. Liberty broke things open in the seventh with a two-run homer and added four insurance runs in the eighth, all coming with two outs.

The loss drops Kent State to 7-7 on the season. They continue their non-conference road swing next weekend in Illinois taking on Northwestern for a three-game series over two days. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. central, 4 p.m. eastern.