Liberty Men’s Baseball Upsets No. 9 Florida On The Road In Weekend Series To Open Season

Flames baseball ignited the 2022 season with two wins against No. 9 Florida, leaving the Sunshine State on the winning side of a three-game series Feb. 18-20.

Just as last season ended with a 1-3 loss to SEC opponent Tennessee in Regionals, this season fittingly began with another SEC opponent in Florida. 

“It’s going to be a really, really good opportunity to see where we are and compete with some of the best in the country,” redshirt senior Aaron Anderson said before the weekend’s contests.  “Obviously, coming off what we were able to accomplish last season and with the way it ended in Knoxville against Tennessee, just getting the opportunity to go against another SEC opponent. To start off this season in a similar fashion and against a similar caliber team is something we’re excited about.”

Although the team ended the weekend with a series victory, the Flames started off shaky. In Friday’s contest, the Gators soundly defeated the Flames 7-2. 

Florida began the first game by striking early. Centerfielder Jud Fabian dashed for home after a groundout by Kendrick Calilao to give the Gators a first-inning lead. Liberty was unable to keep up, and despite an eighth inning surge, they dropped the season opener. 

While Friday’s loss was certainly disappointing, there was a bright spot. Redshirt senior Derek Orndorff jetted into the outfield and dove for a sensational catch, landing him as the No. 1 play on SportsCenter the next day. 

Saturday’s game proved to be in direct contrast to its predecessor as the Flames held the Gators offense in check while simultaneously unleashing its offensive assault. Junior catcher Gray Betts scored in the first inning for the Flames after Cameron Foster was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Logan Matthieu followed this with a RBI single to double the lead. 

A flyout by Foster and a RBI single by Orndorff provided one run each in the third inning to again double Liberty’s lead. 

Florida tied the game in the fourth inning, but Liberty scored in the fifth and eighth innings to ensure the victory in a game where the Flames never trailed. 

With the series tied at one-apiece, Sunday’s matchup loomed large for both teams. 

Unlike both of the other games, the game started slow with neither team getting on the board until the bottom of the fourth inning. A double by Florida’s Josh Rivera allowed Kris Armstrong to hit paydirt. Immediately afterwards, B.T. Riopelle crushed a home run to the fences for a two-run homer. 

Liberty responded in the fifth inning by matching the score thanks to an Aaron Anderson home run that also brought Betts to home plate as well as a double by
Brian Gulakowski.

The Gators failed to gain any more momentum for the rest of the day. Scores from Orndorff and a Gulakowski home run in the sixth and seventh innings respectively sealed the game for the Flames. 

After Sunday’s victory, Head Coach Scott Jackson beamed at the play from the athletes on his squad. 

“Those are the moments you coach for when kids get a chance to have success,” Jackson told LFSN. “Sometimes you just give them those opportunities and then run with them. That’s what happened this weekend.”

Before the weekend’s games, questions swirled about how the Flames would be able to compete against a top-10 opponent, yet the Flames knew what they needed to do to upset the Gators.

“You’ve got to limit their chances. The more chances you give them and the more freebies you give them, the less chance you are going to have of success,” Betts said prior to the weekend games. 

Liberty’s matchups against Florida reflected the importance of playing a clean game free of mistakes. After one error in Friday’s game, the Flames remained mistake free for the rest of the series. 

Betts, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, spoke before the season opener about his excitement in playing so close to home but emphasized that his priorities rested in playing strong for the Flames. 

“Once we get on that plane tomorrow, it’ll be all about business and bringing back three wins,” Betts said. 

The catcher demonstrated this commitment to excellence with his home run in the final game of the series. Although the Flames did not succeed in sweeping the Gators, Jackson and company no doubt celebrated the two victories against a team ranked ninth in the nation.

Pitching also played an enormous role in the series. Liberty only walked 10 players in the three games combined and recorded 31 strikeouts. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of our players, namely a few today,” Jackson told LFSN after Sunday’s victory. “Jeremy Beamon strikes out his first college hitter on the road in Florida and so does Garrett Horn. Nick Willard’s made tremendous strides for us with just his presence out there and staying under control.” 

Perhaps the most notable performance for the bullpen was Horn, a freshman pitcher, who recorded a 97-mph fastball in his first collegiate game. Horn also allowed one hit in four batters faced.

The Flames will next compete Feb. 23 against North Carolina A&T at home before hosting a three-game series against Winthrop Feb. 25-27.

Shields is asst. sports editor. Follow him on Twitter