Liberty Walks-Off Jax State 7-6

LYNCHBURG, VA. – Designated hitter Landon Scilley’s one-out single in the ninth inning scored left fielder Nick Barone for a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a CUSA game on Saturday at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium.

In a back-and-forth contest that saw the lead change hands five times, the Flames pulled out the victory in the home half of the ninth. With one out, Barone doubled and second baseman Easton Swofford received an intentional walk. Scilley followed by lining a single into right field, allowing Barone to plate the winning run.

Liberty reliever Cooper Harrington entered in the seventh inning with one out and pitched a scoreless 2 1/3 innings to keep the score tied.

Scilley had two hits, a walk and an RBI, scoring a run in the game. Swofford added two hits and knocked in two runs.

Flames catcher Kyle Hvidsten also had two hits, including a two-run home run, his first of the year.

Liberty moves to 10-4 in CUSA play and 24-10 overall. The Flames hand Jax State its first loss in conference. The Gamecocks fall to 13-1 in CUSA and 29-7 overall.

Box Score Highlights

Records: Jax State (29-7, 13-1 CUSA); Liberty (24-10, 10-4 CUSA)

Location: Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium

WP: Cooper Harrington (2-0) | LP: Skyler Hutto (3-3)

Scoring Summary

1st – JSU – Blauser grounds out, Pate scores, 1-0

1st – LIBERTY – Marsh scores on a wild pitch, 1-1

5th – LIBERTY – Jaffe single, Marsh scores, 2-1

6th – JSU – Ashe doubles, Johnson scores, 2-2

6th – JSU – King singles, Ashe scores, 3-2

6th – LIBERTY – Hvidsten homers, Scilley scores, 4-3

7th – JSU – Johnson doubles, Pate and Cash score, 5-4

7th – JSU – Thomas singles, Johnson scores, 6-4

7th – LIBERTY – Swofford singles, Sorenson and Jaffe score, 6-6

9th – LIBERTY – Scilley singles, Barone scores, 7-6

Baseball Recap - Game 34 Jax State

Notable Numbers

– Liberty edges Jax State, 12-11, in hits. Neither team committed an error.

– The Flames left eight men on. The Gamecocks left five.

– Liberty third baseman Jordan Jaffe and Barone also had two hits apiece in the contest.

– Harrington moves to 2-0 on the season. The right-hander allowed two hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter.

– Flames starting pitcher Jaxon Lucas gave up one run on three hits over the first five innings. He struck out two and walked one.

– Jax State reliever Skyler Hutto takes the loss. He allowed one run on five hits over two innings of relief. He struck out one and walked two.

– Catcher Graham Ashe was one of three Gamecocks with two hits in the game. He also had an RBI and scored a run.

Beyond the Box Score

– With its win, Liberty ties the three-game series at 1-1.

– Scilley records his second multi-hit game and Hvidsten picks up his first in the contest.

– Jaffe posts his 12th multi-hit game of the season. The third baseman has at least one hit in 12 consecutive games.

– Barone collects multi-hit games in back-to-back contests. He has 10 on the year.

– Right fielder Riley DeCandido singled and walked in the contest to extend his reached base safely streak to a team-high 23 consecutive games.

– Harrington has not allowed a run over 11 innings in his last five appearances.

Up Next

Liberty and Jacksonville State will meet in the series finale of their three-game series tomorrow at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.