[jcmanson]

3-0 Coastal after 3

[matshark]

updates?

[Stevev]

4-0 Coastal after 7. We have blown several opportunities due to 4 errors but can't get that key hit to bring them around. Our chances are slipping away at pulling off an upset.

[BJWilliams]

7-0 in the 8th. Definitely a night of missed opportunities for LU. We'll be matched up with Winthrop tomorrow with the survivor facing the Chants barring one of the craziest 9th innings in LU history

[SuperJon]

Looks like I'm not going tomorrow. I can't be there for a 1:00pm start and then with there only being 45 minutes between games there's no way I can get up there.

[coastalfan1]

Sorry i haven't been available to gloat yet, all i to say is ha ha. Let me know when you learn to play baseball, maybe you'll make a regional by 2012

[Number1InDaHoodG]

Well, after five years of covering Liberty baseball, one thing is apparent to me.. These guys do NOT like doing things the easy way. Several missed chances tonight with runners on base are to blame, along with some lackluster pitching. Liberty had the leadoff man on three times in the first five innings, but still couldn't push across a run. In all tonight, the Flames stranded six baserunners by my count.

While it was nice to see Casey Brown able to play tonight with the bad thumb, I was a little curious as to why Doug Bream didn't get a crack with the righty on the mound. Brown finished the evening 0-3 with a strikeout. In fairness though, Bream has been battling that left wrist as well.

Jim Towman was in a very sour mood (shocker) after the game. The team had a very lengthy huddle in right field afterwards. Kind of hard to believe this team scored 30 runs and was hitting .388 for the first two games. Austin Fleet looked sharp with a good fastball in the low 90's and a good hard slider to go along with it. Certainly didn't appear to be the same pitcher who the Flames have faced in the past.

Tyler Light came out throwing harder than usual, but I'm sure adrenaline had something to do with that. By the 3rd inning his velocity really seemed to drop off and Coastal hitters were able to sit back on the fastball more. Good effort by the senior though, and I hate he ends a frustrating season like that.

I saw a lot of dejected looks on the faces of players around the hotel tonight. Flame fans better hope that doesn't carry over to tomorrow because Winthrop is feeling pretty good after putting 21 runs on Radford Friday (a Big South Tournament single-game record).

Seems like the plan is to throw Cody Brown against WU at 1pm. Brown faced the Eagles in the third game of the series in Lynchburg this season. He pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits.

Winthrop has options when it comes to the arms. Robert Lake would be the leading candidate in my mind. He last threw on Wednesday in the loss to High Point. He only went three innings of relief and thew 45 pitches.

Pre-game coverage begins on 90.9 FM WWMC at 12:45, with first pitch at 1pm. If the Flames win, we'll also have the winner-take-all title game about 40 minutes after the finale of the first game. You can also of course listen along online at www.libertyflames.com, or on www.thelightonline.com.

[jcmanson]

It's T-O-M-A-N

[matshark]

It's T-O-M-A-N

he should change it to C-O-M-E-O-N-L-E-T-S-S-C-O-R-E-M-A-N.

[Number1InDaHoodG]

Sorry.. was very late when I posted.

[ToTheLeft]

A pair of 1-2-3 innings to start off the game...

[ToTheLeft]

Cody Brown pitching and batting for himself. Doug Bream starting in RF.

[ToTheLeft]

Eagles up 2-0 in the 3rd.

[ToTheLeft]

Steven Evans in to pitch, but we're down 4-0

[ToTheLeft]

6-0 before we finally get out of the 3rd. Not looking good.

[ToTheLeft]

It's looking more and more like the ride's over. We can't string ANYTHING together on offense.

[BJWilliams]

Its almost mind blowingly frustrating the difference between the first two games and yesterday and today.

[olldflame]

The sudden disappearence of our offense was certainly disappointing. I truthfully felt the odds were against us going into the tourney because we were so short on healthy pitching. The offensive explosion in the first 2 games raised my hopes, but it wasn't to be.

We have so much young talent though, and with next years recruiting class heavy on pitching, I'm really thinking a breakthrough year is possible.

[SuperJon]

The drop in offensive production should've been expected. That's baseball. If I see a team score 20 runs on Thursday, I'm begging my coach to let me pitch on Friday.

[Number1InDaHoodG]

For those that care I'm still at the ballpark watching Coastal and Winthrop fight it out for the Big South title.. I thought of leaving, but then realized I had nothing else better to do until later, so why not stick around and watch two teams I absolutely do not like play for the title? Nick McCully looks sharp for Coastal. He's touched 93mph on the gun so far after throwing quite a few pitches on Wednesday. Matteo D'Angelo returns to the hill for Winthrop after he cleared the 100 pitch count on Thursday.

Final thoughts on the Flames: I think the guys were beat last night after being shut out by Coastal. Those down looks on their faces really told the story, and the offense took a nap for the second straight day. Also, couple that with day game after a night game (I was VERY tired this morning, so I know those guys had to be too).

Cody Brown came out throwing pretty hard in the first inning, but never really could locate his breaking ball that well it seemed. He hung a couple that he got away with in the 2nd inning, before Sean Sullivan lined one off the wall to scored the first run. Steven Evans took over after him, and just honestly didn't look like he had much left. His velocity appeared way down after throwing on Thursday, but Andrew Wilson was stellar after that.

I didn't have a chance to speak with Coach Toman after the game; they pretty much high tailed it out after a few hugs with family members. Even he looked a bit despaired this morning at the hotel though. Obviously, you have to go with what you've got, but I can only wonder what this thing would've looked like with a few more healthy players-pitchers and Tyler Bream.

Looking to next year, the Flames have a lot to build on. With the returns of Dustin Umberger and Dane Beakler from injuries, that should add a couple of electric arms Liberty didn't have this year. However, the one question mark remains how effective those two can be after undergoing major arm surgery-Tommy John for Umberger.

Mark Swanson, Carter Browning, Chris McDougal, Shawn Teufel and John Long also return for Liberty. To John Long, I think he can be something special in a situational/set-up role, or possibly as a closer. The only reason Long didn't throw more this season is because his velocity was much lower in the fall. The rising sophomore from Anderson, SC was touching 90-92 on a consistent basis down here, and I'm told has a pretty good breaking ball. If he can develop confidence in his change-up, watch out!

Every regular position player minus Errol Hollinger returns for at least another season. Tyler Bream should hopefully make a full recovery from his upcoming off-season shoulder surgery and I would look for him to have a monster year at the plate.

To the point of Hollinger, the Flames have another catcher, Jerry Neufang, coming in next season. Neufang is a community college transfer who hit .338 with 12 home runs as a freshman at South Florida. If he can do anything close to what Curran Redal did this season as a JUCO transfer, the Flames will be in good shape behind the plate.

All-in-all, I think Liberty will have a lot of potential next season, but that potential largely rest on whether or not guys can successfully return to 100% from injury. If so, perhaps the Flames could raise their first Big South banner in ten years.

[bigsmooth]

thanks for all the great work #1....dont let these guys give you grief about a spelling error the flames really need pitiching and i believe that is being addressed. a good season, but more is expected next year.