Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – The Liberty Flames scored at least one run in seven out of nine innings on Sunday afternoon as it defeated the Winthrop Eagles 11-1 to take the rubber match of a three-game Big South series at The Winthrop Ballpark.

The Eagles fall to 12-25 on the season and 5-7 in the conference, while the Flames improve to 30-9 overall and 9-3 in conference play.

Carson Herndon (3-1) earned the win pitching 6.0 innings and gave up one run on three hits, three walks and one strikeout. Tyler Klitsch (2-3) suffered the loss giving up five runs on five hits, three walks and no strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Shawn Clowers (1) picked up the save tossing 3.0 scoreless innings of relief on two hits, one walk and one strikeout.

Through the first six innings Liberty held a 10-0 lead over Winthrop after scoring one run each in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings, while plating three runs in the second and fifth innings. Ian Parmley scored the game's first run in the top of the first on a wild pitch by Klitsch, and the Flames would go ahead 4-0 in the second highlighted by a two RBI single by Bryan Aanderud. Andy Smith also added an RBI double in the second, while Ryan Cordell led off the top of the third with a solo home run to left field to extend Liberty's lead to 5-0.

Aanderud was responsible for the Flames' lone run in the fourth on his RBI double to left field following Smith's triple into the right field corner. Cordell would hit his second home run of the contest to start the fifth, and Parmley and Smith had one RBI apiece in the inning. Zack Haley gave Liberty a 10-0 lead in the sixth on his RBI fielder's choice.

The Eagles made it 10-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Jason Driver scored as Patrick Gamblin hit into a 5-4-3 double play with no outs. Driver led off the inning with a walk, and went to third on a single by Justin Hopper to center field.

The Flames answered with a run of their own in the top of the eighth to go ahead 11-1 on Josh Richardson's RBI single to center field.

Cordell led Liberty's offense with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, while Aanderud drove in three runs. Five different Winthrop hitters recorded one hit each on the afternoon.

The Eagles will return to action on Tuesday, Apr. 17 as they host The Citadel Bulldogs at 6 p.m.