3 Flames Combine on No-Hitter as Liberty Drops Marist 6-4
2/29/2020 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Three Liberty pitchers combined to pitch a no-hitter, as the Flames defeated the Marist Red Foxes 6-4, Saturday afternoon at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
On a windy afternoon, starting pitcher Noah Skirrow and relievers Troy Britts and Landon Riley held visiting Marist without a hit, helping the Flames post their fifth straight victory. The no-hitter is the first in the eight-year history of Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball and the fourth in program history.
Right-fielder Brandon Rohrer collected two hits and third baseman Ben Highfill drove in two runs with sacrifice fly for the Flames.
Pitchers from both teams faced control issues in the contest. Liberty walked eight batters, while Marist issued 12 bases on balls.
Liberty moves to 6-4 on the year. Marist falls to 2-6.
Box Score Highlights
Records: Marist (2-6); Liberty (6-4)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
Attendance: 1,363
WP: Landon Riley (1-0) | LP: Skyler Pichardo (0-3)
Scoring Summary
LIBERTY – 1ST INNING – Locklear singles, Betts scores, 1-0
MARIST – 2ND INNING – Hoy walks, Armitage scores, 1-1
MARIST – 2ND INNING – Lightner bunts, Rubayo scores, 2-1
LIBERTY – 2ND INNING – Guy doubles, Shilling scores, 2-2
LIBERTY – 5TH INNING – Rohrer doubles, Gulakowski scores, 3-2
MARIST – 6TH INNING – Rubayo grounds out, Napolitano scores, 3-3
MARIST – 6TH INNING – Hoy reaches on fielding error by second baseman, Reece Armitage scores, 4-3
LIBERTY – 6TH INNING – Highfill flies out, Shilling scores, 4-4
LIBERTY – 8TH INNING – Highfill flies out, Wilson scores, 5-4
LIBERTY – 8TH INNING – Gulakowski flies out, Guy scores, 6-4
Notable Numbers
- Liberty had four hits in the contest. The Flames also committed the game's only error.
- Skirrow pitched the first 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs, two earned. The right-hander struck out five batters and walked six.
- Britts walked two batters over 1 2/3 innings, before giving way to Riley.
- Riley recorded his first win of the year with two scoreless innings of relief. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
- With two hits, Rohrer was the only player with more than one hit in the contest. One of his two hits was a RBI double.
- Liberty designated hitter Matt Shilling and left fielder Gray Betts each walked three times in the contest.
Turning Point
With the score tied 4-4, Liberty pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a two-run lead. First baseman Garrett Wilkinson was hit by a pitch and outfielders Jaylen Guy and Betts walked to load the bases to open the home half of the inning. Highfill followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the go-ahead run and give the Flames a 5-4 edge. Catcher Brady Gulakowski then lifted a sacrifice fly to score another run for a 6-4 advantage.
Beyond the Box Score
- Liberty's no-hitter was the first in program history since April 16, 2000. Dan Valentin threw a no-hitter in a 4-0 victory over Elon.
- The Flames have won the first two games of the three-game weekend series. Friday afternoon, Liberty won 4-3.
- Liberty runs its record to 6-1 on its current nine-game homestand.
- Rohrer recorded his second multi-hit game of the season in the victory.
- The Flames are 4-1 when scoring first in 2020.
- Liberty walked a season-high 12 times in the contest.
Up Next
Liberty and Marist will wrap-up their three-game series, tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.