The Liberty Flames struck for seven runs in the sixth inning, dumping the VCU Rams 9-3, Friday afternoon at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.

Down a run entering the inning, Liberty sent 12 men to the plate and broke the contest open with seven runs on five hits. Among Liberty's hits in the inning were three doubles and a triple. The Liberty bullpen then held the Rams in check over the final three innings for the victory.

Catcher Gray Betts, second baseman Will Wagner, shortstop Cam Locklear and center fielder Jaylen Guy each had two hits apiece in the contest for the Flames. One of Betts' two hits was his third home run of the season, a two-run blast in the third inning. Both of Locklear's hits were doubles.

Liberty improves to 17-7 on the year. VCU see its four-game winning streak come to end, falling to 13-11.

Box Score Highlights
Records: VCU (13-11); Liberty (17-7)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium)
WP: David Erickson (6-1) | LP: Campbell Ellis (3-1)

Scoring Summary
VCU – 2^nd INNING – Amiss flies out, Hay scores, 1-0
LIBERTY – 3^rd INNING – Betts homers, C. Locklear scores, 2-1
VCU – 5^th INNING – Hibbits singles, Carpenter scores, 2-2
VCU – 5^th INNING – Schroeder flies out, T. Locklear scores, 3-2
LIBERTY – 6^th INNING – C. Locklear doubles, McDyre and Wagner score, 4-3
LIBERTY – 6^th INNING – Wilson doubles, Locklear and Mathieu score, 6-3
LIBERTY – 6^th INNING – Guy triples, Wilson scores, 7-3
LIBERTY – 6^th INNING – Rohrer singles, Guy scores, 8-3
LIBERTY – 6^th INNING – Wagner doubles, Rohrer scores, 9-3

Notable Numbers

• Liberty outhit VCU, 10-6. Neither team committed an error.
• Liberty left six men on base. VCU left eight.
• Flames reliever David Erickson, who leads the ASUN Conference in wins, moves to 6-1 on the year. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit, striking out two and walking two.
• Fraser Ellard and Christian Gordon each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Liberty.
• The Flames roughed up VCU relievers Campbell Ellis and Danny Watson. Ellis takes the loss allowing two runs on three hits over one innings of relief. Watson gave up five runs on five hits in one inning of work.

Turning Point
      Liberty broke open the game with its most runs in an inning this season in the sixth. The first six batters of the inning reached. Wagner led off the home half of the inning with a single and third baseman Trey McDyre walked. After a Rams pitching change, Mathieu was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Locklear and right fielder Jake Wilson followed with back-to-back two-run doubles and Guy made it three straight base hits with a triple into the right field corner to give Liberty a 7-3 lead. Later in the inning, designated hitter Brandon Rohrer had an RBI double and Wagner provided a RBI double.

Beyond the Box Score

• Liberty has now won the last seven meetings between the two teams.
• With the win, the Flames remain unbeaten at home, moving to 9-0 at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, this season.
• Betts extended the longest hitting streak by a Liberty player this season to 10 games with his two-run home run in the third. He has recorded 10 multi-hit games this season.
• Drawing a base on balls in the fourth, Wagner has now reached base safely in 14 consecutive games. It is the longest reached base safely streak by a Flame this year.
• For the second straight game, Guy posts a multi-hit game. The outfielder now has three on the year.
• Locklear has recorded at least one hit in each of his last four games and now has seven doubles on the season. The shortstop recorded his fourth multi-hit contest of 2021 in the game.
• Ellard has not allowed a run over his last six appearances.

Next Up
Liberty and VCU will meet again tomorrow; but this time, the Rams will host the Flames. Game time at the Diamond in Richmond, Va., is scheduled for 2 p.m.