Late Lead Slips Away in Sunday Slugfest at Liberty

Sunday, April 24

Lynchburg, Va.

1 p.m.

University of North Florida

16-25, 6-12

Liberty

26-12, 12-6

North Florida

Liberty

Edge has hit a grand slam and a three-run home run against Liberty this year.

Photo by: Johnny Brown | Campus Connection 838

4/24/2022 6:07:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Game Features 26 Hits, Two Lead Changes, Two Tie Scores

LYNCHBURG, Va. - After 26 hits, UNF's five-run sixth inning, a pair of lead changes and game-tying plays, Liberty held off North Florida baseball, 10-9, in the series finale Sunday, April 24.

UNF found itself in an early, 3-0, hole before tying the game in the third. The Flames (26-12, 12-6 ASUN) pulled ahead, 6-3, going into the sixth just as the Ospreys (16-25, 6-12 ASUN) unloaded for a five-run frame that was highlighted by Brock Edge's three-run home run.

Liberty promptly tied it in the sixth, but heads up baserunning by Isaiah Byars on a shallow pop up allowed him to score the go-ahead run on a sac fly in the eighth inning. With UNF up, 9-8, Liberty got a clutch two-out two-RBI single from Cameron Foster to give Liberty the 10-9 lead and eventually the game.

Liberty 10, UNF 9

Pitchers of Record
Win: Cade Hungate (2-0)
Loss: Stephen Halstead (2-3)

Line Scores
UNF | 9R, 13H, 3E, 9 LOB
LIB | 10R, 13H, 2E, 10 LOB

Behind the Line Score

Liberty was the first to get on the board, scoring a trio of runs in the second. Brady Gulakowski roped a ground rule-RBI double and Nathan Keeter plated a pair with a single through the right side.
UNF put together a much needed three-run third to respond. Isaiah Byars and Brock Edge kickstarted the inning before Abraham Sequera drove in one with an RBI single. With two outs, Aidan Sweatt tied it 3-3 with a two-RBI chopper up the middle.
Liberty took a 5-3 lead in the third. A leadoff error turned into a run thanks to Derek Orndorff's speed on the bags. Cameron Foster plated another with a two-out single.
Defense took a run away from UNF in the fourth. Justin Holmes tripled before Byars was robbed of a two-out RBI base hit with a diving catch in right.
A pair of singles and an error in the outfield gave Liberty a 6-3 after the fifth.
The tide turned in the sixth thanks to UNF's five-run inning, giving the Ospreys an 8-6 lead. With the bags loaded, Holmes got a flare to land in left center, scoring one.
Byars followed with a sac fly and Edged launched the big blow, the go-ahead three-run home run to right.
Liberty tied the game 8-8 in the bottom half, though. A pair of RBI singles evened the game, but righty Stephen Halstead fanned the side to limit the damage.
Byars' speed gave UNF a 9-8 lead in the eighth. After doubling down the line on a perfectly placed pop up, Byars took third on a wild pitch and scored on a shallow sac fly caught by Keeter at second base.
But as had been the trend all day, Liberty traded another blow, scoring two on a two-out RBI single from Cameron Foster in the eighth, putting the Flames up.
Tyler Gerteisen was hit by a pitch in the ninth with two outs. On the next play, Holmes lined to center, but Liberty outfielder Derek Orndorff dove to catch the line drive.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

Isaiah Byars | 2-for-4, 2R, RBI, 2B
Brock Edge | 2-for-5, 2R, 3RBI, HR
Abraham Sequera | 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB
Aidan Sweatt | 2-for-5, 2RBI
Trey Spratling-Williams | 2-for-4, R, BB
Justin Holmes | 2-for-5, 3B, R, RBI

LIB

Three Hillier | 2-for-5, RBI
Logan Mathieu | 2-for-3, 3R, 2BB
Cameron Foster | 3-for-5, 3RBI, R
Nathan Keeter | 2-for-3, 2RBI, R

Notes

Dominick Madonna made his third appearance of the year and first start in ASUN play.
It was the second-straight one-run decision.
North Florida has played six one-run games this season.
The game saw two tie scores and a pair of lead changes.
North Florida has posted 19 double-digit hit games, including two in this series against Liberty.
Spots one-through-three in the batting order combined to go 6-for-13 with five runs and five RBI Sunday for UNF.
Six Ospreys had multi-hit games.
The teams combined for 26 hits and 19 runners left on base.