[bigsmooth]

today starts a big weekend series and a battle for first place in the Big South against Birmingham Southern. the weather forecast looks good, so get out and support the guys this weekend!
BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN 22-17 OVERALL 9-3 BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham-Southern’s next two Big South Conference series are critical series in terms of the conference regular season race, beginning this weekend against first-place Liberty in Lynchburg, Va. The three-game series begins on Friday at 2 p.m. and continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. (CDT) and wraps up on Sunday at noon.

Liberty, Winthrop and High Point enter the weekend in first with identical 10-5 records in the Big South. Birmingham-Southern is 9-3 in conference play with a the High Point series next on May 6-8 following the Liberty series. The Panthers won the Winthrop series 2-1 back on March 31-April 2 in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Panthers are 22-17 overall after a 15-8 win over No. 25 Troy on Wednesday night. Liberty is 32-11 overall blasting George Mason 18-4 earlier in the week.

A key match up in the series will be in the steals department. BSC senior catcher Blake Burton has thrown out 18 of 34 runners attempting to steal -- 52.9 percent. Liberty leads the Big South with 80 stolen bases in 97 attempts for an 82.4 percent success rate. BSC has 53 steals in 65 attempts for an 81.5 percent success rate. LU’s Errol Hollinger has thrown out 34 percent of runners attempting to steal -- 16 in 47 attempts.

Brandon Hynick (RHP), David Horne (RHP) and Blake Martin (LHP) make up the weekend pitching rotation that will try to slow a Liberty club that sports a .318 team batting average. Hynick is 3-4 overall with three losses in his last four starts. Hynick has a 3.26 ERA which ranks third in the Big South and he leads the Panthers with 55 strikeouts and 60.2 innings pitched. Horne has won his last four starts against Winthrop, Texas-Pan American, Coastal Carolina and VMI. He leads BSC with 6-2 record and has a 4.55 ERA. Martin Is 4-1 with wins in two of his last three starts. His 2.68 ERA leads the Big South and he ranks second on the BSC staff with 54 strikeouts.

Brint Hardy leads BSC with a .386 batting average and ranks second with 14 steals in 14 attempts. Mark Goforth’s 19 steals in 19 attempts leads the team and ranks third in the conference. Hynick leads BSC with 12 home runs and 35 RBI, while the 12 home runs are third in the Big South statistics.

Liberty’s weekend rotation will feature right-handers Michael Solbach, Phillip Thompson and Dustin Umberger. Solbach is 7-2 with a 3.76 ERA and a team-high 65 strikeouts. Thompson is 6-3 with a 4.37 ERA, four saves and ranks second with 54 strikeouts. Umberger is 1-1 in five starts and has a 4.01 ERA and 28 strikeouts.

Michael Just and Chad Miller pace LU with .371 batting averages. First baseman Aaron Grijalva leads the team with seven home runs and 18 stolen bases in 18 attempts. Phillip Laurent has a team-best 47 RBI while Just and Laurent are one-two in doubles with 16 and 15, respectively

[BJ]

I do not know what the deal is with Solbach...its like the wheels have come completely off.

[givemethemic]

We are down 15-2 in the bottom of the 4th

[A.G.]

Ouch. The first WU game was bad, but the Flames bounced back and SHOULD have won the next two. There's always tomorrow and Sunday. Besides, if anyone (especially me) had thought the team would be battling for first place this late in the season, we'd all been carried away to the rubber rooms.

[BJWilliams]

Not that its any better but its actually 15-1

[bigsmooth]

good gracious! we obviously did not come to play today!

[Hold My Own]

bach just couldnt find the strike zone and would grove some pitches in order to get a strike....4 errors in what 3 innings, that couldnt have been good.....bottom line, I hope this isnt a sign of a tired arm and many more allowed runs to come....b/c remember this is the time when this starts to happen

[givemethemic]

12 of the 15 runs where unearned.....

[PAmedic]

Laurent Breaks Liberty Doubles Mark as Flames Fall to Panthers

April 28, 2006 · Lynchburg, Va.

Box Score Note:
For game box score, click “Team Stats” link on the right-hand navigation bar as all season box scores are listed on this link.

Left fielder Scott Billak hit three home runs and drove in seven runs as the Birmingham-Southern Panthers downed the Liberty Flames, 15-1, in the opening game of three-game Big South Conference series, Friday afternoon, at Worthington Stadium. Flames’ senior left fielder Phillip Laurent became the all-time Liberty career doubles leader with a double in the first inning.
With the win, Birmingham-Southern moves to 10-3 in the Big South and 23-17 overall, while Liberty drops to 10-6 in conference play and 32-12 overall.

The Panthers did their damage early, scoring multiple runs in each of the first four innings.

Birmingham-Southern struck for four two-out runs in the first. Billak, the third batter of the inning, hit a solo home run and his fifth of the season to put the Panthers on the board. Pitcher Brandon Hynick singled and shortstop Matt Barber reached on an error by the Flames’ third baseman, keeping the inning alive. Both runners then scored on a double down the left field line by catcher Blake Burton. The next batter Brett Ashley plated Burton for a 4-0 advantage.

Liberty scored a run in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Aaron Grijalva (r-So., 1B, Redlands, Calif.) singled to left and scored on a double to right center field by Laurent (Sr., LF, Cantrall, Ill.). With the double, the Flames’ left fielder became the all-time Liberty doubles leader with 57, surpassing Steve Baker, who was an outfielder for the Flames from 1999-02.

The Panthers added to their lead in the second as they plated three more in the second. With two outs, Billak singled to score Brint Hardy, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. Billak stole second and ended up on third on a throwing error by the Liberty catcher. After Hynick walked and stole second, Billak came home on a wild pitch. The next four Birmingham-Southern batters then walked as Ashley picked an RBI by receiving a base on ball to force home Hynick for a 7-1 lead.

In the third, the Panthers extended their lead with two more runs. With two out in the frame, Billak hit his second home run of the game, a two-run homer to left.
Birmingham-Southern Strikes Early – cont.

Birmingham-Southern continued its offensive outburst in the fourth. After an error and a walk put runners at first and second with one out, second baseman Ronny Woods hit his second home run of the season to clear the bases. Mark Goforth and Brint Hardy followed with back-to-back singles and came home ahead of Billak’s third home run of the afternoon, his seventh of the season. The left-fielder finished the day 4-fo-5 with seven RBI and four runs scored.

Panther starter Hynick kept the Flames in check, allowing the first inning run and scattering nine hits in seven innings. The right-hander ran his record to 4-4 as he struck out five and walked none. Liberty’s Michael Solbach (r-So., RHP, Woodbridge, Va.) took the loss to fall to 7-3 on the year. The starter allowed eight runs, four which were earned, in 2 2/3 innings, while striking out one and walking five. 11 of Birmingham-Southern’s runs were unearned on the afternoon.

The Panthers and Flames will meet again tomorrow afternoon in the second game of the three game set at Worthington Stadium. Game time has been moved back to 3 p.m.

[thesportscritic]

That is the worst team that LU has put on the field all season. The defense was horrendus and unacceptable. Hopefully we will not ever play like this again or else.....

[A.G.]

Perhaps Royer needs to get himself suspended for a few more games.

[LU Father]

Or else what? You have no say in any decisions made. Jeff Barber really likes Royer, so no changes are going to happen, especially when you win 30-plus games two years in a row. Plus us parents are behind the coaching staff too. I know you were just trying to express your frustration, but to threaten action is irresponsible when you have no say and people know you don't.

It was our terrible pitching today that got us in trouble. You can't walk that many hitters (12) against a team like Birmingham and expect to win. Errors are going to happen and the pitcher made one of them.

Also, the line-up that played today is the same line-up which had been beating the cover off the ball. Nobody can be blamed for today's loss other than the players and they have took the blame. They will get them tomorrow. Its the great thing about baseball.

[thesportscritic]

Or else what? You have no say in any decisions made. Jeff Barber really likes Royer, so no changes are going to happen, especially when you win 30-plus games two years in a row. Plus us parents are behind the coaching staff too. I know you were just trying to express your frustration, but to threaten action is irresponsible when you have no say and people know you don't.

It was our terrible pitching today that got us in trouble. You can't walk that many hitters (12) against a team like Birmingham and expect to win. Errors are going to happen and the pitcher made one of them.

Also, the line-up that played today is the same line-up which had been beating the cover off the ball. Nobody can be blamed for today's loss other than the players and they have took the blame. They will get them tomorrow. Its the great thing about baseball.

I will believe it when I see it now register!!

[LU Father]

Believe what? Just as I said, what are you going to do about. You cannot change anything in the Libety Athletic Department. So to write that is just ridiculous. The last time I saw you today, you were sitting in the stands, not in the dugout, listed as a member of the athletic department or like Art Williams have given millions to the department. You are not going to do anything.

Also, I am 40 year old man and I register for what I want. I agree with you we played lousy and my kid who plays on the team even said so, but as I said, you are not going to do anything about it, so why write or else?

[SuperJon]

The beauty of baseball is you can get blown out one day and then blow the same team out the next. That's the way the ball bounces. We played like crap. They scored a ton of runs. They prolly won't score nearly as much the rest of the weekend and we won't play that way again all weekend. It's called percentages, baseball always works that way.

[PeterParker]

A little observation never hurt anyone...I believe that Sportscritics "or else" comment was not meant as a "threat of action," rather a note that should the team play in this fashion again in the coming days, any postseason aspirations may dim. Most are aware of the fickle nature of the national pastime (as a Red Sox fan, I believe I've had my fair share of "awareness," 2004 notwithstanding), blowout loss today, blowout win tomorrow, etc. We all have fathers who are emotionally invested in how we do (and some of us have our own offspring), so we understand and accomodate your passion and personal connection to the team; however, this is an open forum to discuss the stellar and less than stellar outcomes, plus the first amendment is alive and well to boot.

[fsn32]

Wow, I can't sleep so I thought I would check the board... I don't want to get in the middle of a storm here but I will jump in on one point... the phrase "or else" is strong, really strong. As a kid, when your mom or dad says "or else" it usually winds up in a beating. I can see why someone would take offense to that phrase. I agree with Sportscritic that our performance today was bad but one game isn't enough to be ready to throw the team under an Abbott Bus.

I'll be honest, I was wondering what the "or else" statement meant when I read it too... just seamed like an odd choice of words. As for LU Father, I'm sure he, like any dad, is quick to defend his kid and his kid's team... but I don't think he was suggesting that we throw out the 1st Amendment. Even with Freedom of Speech, when you engage in an open debate, you have to defend (or explain) your arguments and he felt (as do I) that the "or else" needed defending (or in my opinion...explained.)

The thing that I am having a hard time understanding is how, after the HORRIBLE football and basketball season we had... how some of us are so quick to be negative during what has been a very good baseball season. Those that preached "look at the big picture" during basketball season need to do the same here in baseball season.

I talked to Phil Laurent today and he said that this team is closer this season than the past three and I believe that the coaches have matured just as the players have the last couple years. It's not perfected yet, but this team has gotten better chemistry and should be able to overcome a loss.

Maybe I'm just drinking the kool-aid, but I think Matt is doing a good job and I think the program is going in the right direction. I would also think that a dad of a player would have a pretty good idea of the temperature of the clubhouse... so if he is happy with the coaching staff, then that makes me even more comfortable.

[bigsmooth]

LU Father can say what he wants as can anyone else. the guys had a very bad day....but it is baseball and it happens. coach royer cannot hit and pitch and field for the guys. hopefully it was a blip on the radar. the guys will respond today...they have plenty of pride!

[thesportscritic]

Believe what? Just as I said, what are you going to do about. You cannot change anything in the Libety Athletic Department. So to write that is just ridiculous. The last time I saw you today, you were sitting in the stands, not in the dugout, listed as a member of the athletic department or like Art Williams have given millions to the department. You are not going to do anything.

Also, I am 40 year old man and I register for what I want. I agree with you we played lousy and my kid who plays on the team even said so, but as I said, you are not going to do anything about it, so why write or else?

I am talking about bouncing back. If you are going to hide behind a computer screen and talk mess on this board then you need to PM me and not on this public forum. But you can't do that unless you register. That is if you are referring to me and you are not sitting in the dugout either.

[thesportscritic]

A little observation never hurt anyone...I believe that Sportscritics "or else" comment was not meant as a "threat of action," rather a note that should the team play in this fashion again in the coming days, any postseason aspirations may dim. Most are aware of the fickle nature of the national pastime (as a Red Sox fan, I believe I've had my fair share of "awareness," 2004 notwithstanding), blowout loss today, blowout win tomorrow, etc. We all have fathers who are emotionally invested in how we do (and some of us have our own offspring), so we understand and accomodate your passion and personal connection to the team; however, this is an open forum to discuss the stellar and less than stellar outcomes, plus the first amendment is alive and well to boot.

thanks peterparker that is exactly what I meant

[thesportscritic]

fsn 32 "or else" meant that if we continued to play like that then we have no chance in postseason. You know me better than to make a threat

[thesportscritic]

LU father if you want to get to know me then I always sit on the second row at the end from the bottom near Gary. I normally have my school clothes and carry a black bag.

[Guest]

Last I checked, Im sorry Im a guest too, if any of us had that type of power youd be reading what we think in the papers, not this forum. So all everybody does is post their opinion, and leave it at that. Personally we just had a real bad day and hopefully bounce baxk tommorrow.

[PAmedic]

Phillies fans know all about bad games and streaky play!

Decades of both makes ya a wee bit cynical.

[Number1inda'hoodG]

I have nothing to do with all of this mess that was posted earlier about game one (And I'm glad I don't); I only got on here to see if anyone knew what the score was on today's game. However, I personally think it is ridiculous to see grown men going back and forth like a couple of two year olds on a freakin message board. If you guys really have such a problem with each other go and knock on each other's doors and spare the rest of us.

Thanks