Lynchburg, Va. – Keegan Linza pitched a complete-game, six-hitter to lead Liberty to a 5-1 win over the Le Moyne College baseball team on Sunday afternoon in the sixth and final game of the Liberty tournament at Worthington Stadium.
Liberty got on the scoreboard first with a run on one hit in the opening inning. Center fielder Ian Parmley led off by drawing a walk and proceeded to steal second base. Following a groundout and a walk, designated hitter Justin Richardson singled up the middle to drive in Parmley.
The Flames scored once in the third inning on one hit to double their lead. Parmley walked with one out, moved to third on a single down the right field line by right fielder Michael Robertson and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by shortstop Matt Williams.
The Dolphins cut their deficit in half in the next inning with a run on three hits and a Liberty error. Sophomore shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) doubled to right center and moved to third on a groundout. Sophomore designated hitter Brian Stinson (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) then reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, allowing Mahoney to score.
Liberty (26-19) extended its lead with three runs on three hits and a Le Moyne error in the sixth inning. Williams was hit by a pitch to start the frame and moved to third on a single through the right side by Richardson. Williams then scored and pinch-runner Joshua Thompson advanced to second on a balk. Third baseman Tyler Bream, son of 11-year Major League veteran Sid Bream, followed with a single to left field, with Thompson scoring on an error on the left fielder. After a pair of outs, catcher Casey Rasmus, younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder Colby Rasmus, doubled to right center to drive in Bream with the game's final run.
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Derek Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie) suffered the loss on the mound for the Dolphins after giving up five runs on seven hits over five and two-thirds innings pitched, while striking out a pair of batters. Linza struck out seven Dolphins, while yielding just the unearned run, to improve to 7-3 on the season.
Le Moyne (15-27), which split its four games at the Liberty Tournament, returns to action on Tuesday for a doubleheader at UAlbany beginning at 2:00 p.m.
