Mitchell on fire
Senior ace leads Flames past Bethune-Cook
LEADER — Senior Evan Mitchell only allowed one run on three hits in his outing against Bethune-Cookman April 2.
Photo Credit: Dean Hinnant
Behind a pair of home runs by senior catcher Jake Barbee and senior first baseman Sammy Taormina, Liberty defeated Bethune-Cookman Sunday afternoon by a score of 6-1 to take the weekend series.
Liberty (16-10) bounced back from a 4-5 loss on Friday night to win on a walkoff hit Saturday before winning a very competitive series against Bethune-Cookman Sunday.
“For us to be able to lose on Friday in a tough one and then come back and win a close one in extra innings and (to have) some big swings of the bat today was really good for our team,” Head Coach Scott Jackson said after the win.
“We talk a lot about making sure that we protect our home turf and not to let anyone come in here and win a series. I’m just proud of our guys to come back in here and grind it out and do what we did the last two days.”
The Flames opened things up in the first inning when Barbee crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for his first career home run.
“(It felt) absolutely amazing,” Barbee said.
“(I’ve) been waiting on that one for a long time.”
The blast scored sophomore centerfielder D.J. Artis and freshman infielder Trey McDrye and put the Flames up 3-0.
Bethune-Cookman (19-11) had difficulties on the mound all afternoon.
Starter Donte Lindsay failed to go deep into the game, having given up three earned runs and four walks in just two innings of work.
The Flames were able to execute their approach at the plate with precision which led to Lindsay’s early exit.
“We were just trying to get into their bullpen,” Taormina said.
“We knew how well the other two starters competed, and we didn’t really score any runs until we got in their bullpen, so we just tried to get up there and grind and have quality at-bats to see if we could get him out of the game early.”
Jackson was happy to see the plate discipline pay off.
“We’ve talked about that since I got here — to be able to be disciplined at the plate — and we’re starting to do a better job of it,” Jackson said.
“I think we had eight walks and three strikeouts today, so you don’t have to get hits to score runs and to create opportunities.”
After the Wildcats got on the board with a run-producing ground out in the top of the 4th, Taormina got a pitch in his wheelhouse and sent it over the right field wall an inning later, extending the Liberty lead to 5-1.
The home run scored McDrye, who led off the inning with a base hit.
For Taormina, his homer came a day after he walked the Flames off with a game-winning single on Saturday night.
When asked what Saturday’s walk-off did for him mentally, he simply said it added to his confidence.
“Baseball’s such a mental sport,” Taormina said.
“It just gave me that edge I kind of needed today to come out here and just keep having
good at-bats.”
Taormina also acknowledged the benefit of good weather for his strong recent performances.
“It feels nice,” Taormina said.
“This weather’s warming up, and I start to feel a little better.
FLAMETRAIN — The Flames are10-5 this season at the Liberty Baseball Stadium.
Photo Credit: Caroline Sellers
I’m from the South so we don’t really play too much baseball in the cold, so it’s nice to be able to get out here and not have to put on too many layers.”
The Flames final run of the day came on a bloop single by senior second baseman Andrew Kowalo in the seventh.
Center fielder Kyle Corbin laid out full-extension just to see the ball trickle out of his glove’s webbing and fall to the ground.
Barbee scored on the play after leading off the frame with his second hit.
Liberty will go on to play conference rival Radford for four straight — a stretch that Taormina says they are ready for.
“We feel like we’ve already had some tough tests so far this year, non-conference and conference, so we feel pretty confident,” Taormina said.
The Flames have three road conference series in April alone, which is something Jackson admits is a tough task.
However, he feels his guys are up to the challenge.
“It’s going to be up to our guys to go on the road and play well next weekend because you want to carry that momentum into conference play,” Jackson said.
“That’s going to be a challenge for us, we talk about that a lot — going on the road — (you’ve) got to have that chip on your shoulder and a lot more of an edge.”
Liberty will head to Radford to take on the Highlanders for a three-game series starting April 7.
BRIENZA is a guest writer.