RUSTON – The Diamond 'Dogs (24-15, 9-4 CUSA) fell to Liberty (24-15, 6-8 CUSA), 5-3, Friday evening at the Love Shack.
 
The game was scoreless through the first frame despite both teams putting a runner in scoring position, but Liberty opened the scoring the second taking a 2-0 lead.
 
The Flames put a pair of runners on with back-to-back base hits and a double steal to have runners at second and third with one out. A throwing error to first base allowed both runners to score and give Liberty an early lead.
 
The 'Dogs did not answer back until the sixth inning after Will Safford led off with a bunt single before back-to-back infield hits by Colton Coates and Michael Ballard loaded the bases. The Flames made a pitching change with Sebastian Mexico coming to the plate, who hit a sacrifice fly to put Tech on the board.
 
Trey Hawsey followed suit with a base knock to center and tie the game. The tie would not last long as Liberty then scored on a walk, hit-by-pitch and a throwing error to start the seventh. A pair of bases-loaded walks tacked on two more runs for the Flames before a foul out and a groundout ended the frame.
 
Liberty was held in check in the final two innings as their last eight batters were retired in order. The Bulldogs attempted another comeback similar to the one they had to open the series with Liberty. Hawsey led off the ninth with a double to the opposite field side in the left field corner before a two-out double by Eli Berch scored the Bulldog first baseman and give Tech some life with one out to work with.
 
Thaxton Berch, who entered earlier in the game as a pinch hitter, reached base on a bunt single before Will Safford drew a walk to load the bases and put the winning run on first. The Flames went to the bullpen to close the door and a pop up on a 1-0 count ended the game and evened the series.
 
The rubber game is set for Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m. CT at the Love Shack.
 
Head Coach Lane Burroughs after Friday's game:
"Very disappointing. It's probably one of the most disappointing games I've coached in. It's one thing for somebody to come out and beat you and I feel like we beat ourselves. All their runs were unearned—I get it, it's baseball. Nobody's perfect, you're going to make mistakes. Nobody's going to be perfect all the time, but it was just frustrating. There was a lot of stuff going on that was just mind-boggling to me today. We give them credit; they scored more runs. We had a chance to make up ground and didn't do it."
 
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