Flames baseball swept by Southern Miss in season opener

After a preseason full of accolades and expectations for the Liberty men’s baseball team and Head Coach Scott Jackson, the Flames traveled to open their season at the home stadium of the No. 18 team in the nation, Southern Miss. Liberty was then swept in the three-game weekend series that began its 2023 campaign. 

Every coach in every sport has questions regarding their team entering a new season. This Flames team led by Jackson is no different. 

“Every time this time of year, you feel like, I don’t know if we’re any good or not,” Jackson said.  “It’s just because it’s pitchers versus hitters, and does that mean our pitching is superior? Does that mean we’re not going to swing it the bat? So, it’s just that conundrum of where are we. And there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to go play somebody else that has a different colored jersey.”

Well, after going up against a different colored jersey for the first time this season, this Flames team might be left with more questions than answers. 

In the season opener, the Flames were shut out in eight and a half innings, losing 3-0 to the Golden Eagles. Liberty’s flamethrowing sophomore Garrett Horn got the start on the mound, and he had an up-and-down performance. In his first two innings, he was able to strike out four of the seven batters he faced, while only walking one. 

It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that Horn faced some real adversity, when he opened the inning with a walk, followed by a HBP, which was followed by the Golden Eagle’s first hit of the day, bringing in their first run. Horn and the Flames were able to escape the inning and strand three Southern Miss runners on base, but the score now stood at 1-0. 

Coming into this season, Horn was emerging as a national star. On Feb. 2, he was named the ASUN Preseason Pitcher of the Year and given a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Team. In his freshman campaign, Horn was named to two freshman All-American teams and selected to the ASUN All-Conference second team. 

Horn’s performance on Friday night began to fall into something of a pattern. He would throw heat, striking out multiple batters, but the batters that didn’t strike out made the Flames pay dearly. That trend continued over Horn’s final frame against the Golden Eagles. He struck out the first two batters he saw, but with two outs on the board, senior catcher for Southern Miss went yard, adding another run to the Golden Eagles lead. 

To win a baseball game, or to even have a chance at winning, pitchers need run support. They need their teammates to control the plate and put some runs up on the board. The Flames were unable to do so for Horn, who received credit for the loss, and they were unable to do it for the bullpen for the remainder of game one. 

The Flames ended their season-opener losing 3-0, tallying just one hit over nine innings while allowing eight. 

Going into game two, the Flames hoped to bounce back, and they almost did. Liberty broke the 0-0 tie in the fourth inning with an RBI single from uniquely-named catcher, Three Hillier. That run would be the only one they would score, and two late runs from Southern Miss would hand the Flames their second loss with a score of 2-1. 

“I think the most important thing, the most important move we made (last season), was to get (Hillier) in the lineup every single day,” Jackson said prior to the series. “I put him in left field because you saw what he did. He was clutch for us, and he hit in the middle of the order, and he really did some nice things for us there.” 

The Golden Eagles entered the weekend as the No. 18 best team in the nation, according to the NCAA rankings. The fact that the Flames were able to hold them to just five runs over two games is something they have every right to be proud of. Liberty’s pitching staff has contributed to that success, leading to 16 batters on strikes in game one and nine in game two. 

That ability to limit scoring, however, didn’t translate into the final game of the weekend, where Southern Miss scored seven runs on the Flames, two more than the first two games combined. The Flames attempted to counter with an RBI single from senior catcher and designated hitter Gray Betts, who went 3-4 at the plate on the day. 

The Golden Eagles responded by scoring six runs unanswered, three of which came in to the bottom of the eighth inning to ice the game. In the ninth, the Flames hit their first home run of the season, which came off the bat of sophomore outfielder and Clemson transfer Camden Troyer. More than that, it was Troyer’s first home run and first hit in a Liberty uniform. 

Troyer’s home run was a momentous one for both him and the team, but it was too little too late. The game ended with a final score of 7-2, and the sweep was complete. The Flames traveled back home to Lynchburg with an 0-3 record. 

The only thing Liberty can do now is prepare for its next matchup, where the team will travel to Durham, North Carolina, for a mid-week contest with the Duke Blue Devils. The Flames follow that with another weekend series away from home, this time facing off against Winthrop in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Their first home contest of the season will come March 1, when they will play host to the Longwood Lancers. 

Palsgrove is the asst. sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter