Flames baseball defeats Longwood in its home opener
After starting their season with seven straight games on the road, and winning just three of those seven, the Flames grabbed a victory in their home opener on March 1 over the Longwood Lancers, winning 9-7.
To say that the Flames started this game with a bang would be a bit of an understatement. On the mound for Liberty was lefthanded pitching junior, and Winthrop transfer Garrett Gainey. This was Gainey’s second start and second win in a red, white and blue uniform, his first coming in a victory over the Duke Blue Devils.
After Gainey and the Flames defense retired the side 1,2,3, the Flames came up to the plate. After a walk and a single from junior left-fielder Three Hillier, up to the plate came sophomore right-fielder and Clemson transfer Camden Troyer.
“He gave me a strike in the zone,” Troyer said postgame. “That’s what I was looking for with guys on base, and I was able to put a good swing on it.”
Another understatement. Troyer absolutely blasted the ball over the left-field wall, giving the Flames the 3-0 lead and giving Troyer his third home run in as many games, and the title of team home run leader.
With Gainey at the helm, the defense was almost perfect through the first six innings, only allowing two runs on just three hits.
“I feel like it went really well for me,” Gainey said. “(I) went out there and competed, pounded the zone, and let my defense work, and I think that was the biggest thing for me.”
Flames defense certainly did work, especially junior outfielder Jaylen Guy. Guy recorded a team-high six putout’s, including multiple diving and sprinting catches to prevent hits.
“It’s easy to look back and see those eight guys behind me, and just have full confidence because I know they’re going to get the job done at the end of the day,” Gainey said.
Things didn’t always go so well for the Flames. After his excellent six innings, Gainey was replaced with senior pitcher David Erickson. Erickson, who is usually a steady presence on the mound, didn’t have his best stuff. After facing just four batters, he had walked two of them after 10 straight balls.
With two runners on base, Erickson was replaced by sophomore pitcher Nick Willard, who’s luck wouldn’t be any better. His first batter sent a rocket into the gap between third and short, and two Lancer baserunners were able to score. The next batter would hit a double into to the same gap. Then an error from the Flames infield allowed another run to score. After a scoreless bottom of the inning from the Flames, the Flames would lead by just two with the score at 8-6.
“I think it’s a lack of focus,” Flames Head Coach Scott Jackson said. “Anytime you get two quick outs. (Erickson) got two quick outs there, and then all of a sudden, we throw 10 straight balls, which is very uncharacteristic of him. He’s certainly somebody that we need out of that bullpen to be good for us and to have the type of year that we want to have… That’s something that we’ll need to address with him. I mean you can’t just crack the door for the other team when all of a sudden you can’t throw strikes and you give them the opportunity with runners on, and eventually it catches up with you. Thankfully it didn’t catch up with us tonight.”
To say the Flames escaped this game after that seventh inning wouldn’t be entirely incorrect, but they certainly felt in control going into the final frames of this one. Sophomore pitcher Jeremy Beamon slammed the door on the Lancers with two runners on base, and the Flames claimed their second straight victory, and their first at home.
“The atmosphere was incredible,” Gainey said. “Coming from a smaller (Division 1) school to nearly a power five school, and to have that many fans coming, our opening day is incredible, so I really enjoyed it.”
The Flames move on sitting at .500, with four wins and four losses. They play again at home this weekend against Bryant in a three-game weekend series.
Palgrove is the asst. sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter