LEXINGTON, Va.- Sophomore Coby Cowgill tossed eight solid innings with a season-high tying eight strikeouts and allowed only six hits, but his effort wasn't enough as a Michael Robinson infield single gave the Liberty Flames a 3-2 lead in the visitor half of the eighth to seal the Flames victory in the first game of a three-game set Friday, April 22 at VMI's Gray-Minor Stadium.
Liberty took the lead for good in the eighth, as Jeff Jefferson executed a perfect bunt-single to reach first with one out. A Zack Haley single put runners on first and third for Robertson, who hit a slow roller to Sam Roberts at short and then beat out the throw to score Jefferson and give the Flames the 3-2 lead.
VMI falls to an even .500 in conference play with the loss at 8-8. In Cowgill's last two starts, he has thrown 16.1 innings, allowing only three runs on eight hits while striking out 13. Alex Haitsuka's 0-for-4 night at the plate snaps his career-best 19 game hitting streak at the plate, which commenced in the squad's conference opener against Winthrop of March 15.
After Cowgill retired the Flames in order the first two innings of the matchup, Liberty (21-17, 11-5 Big South) got on the board first in the third, as Austin Taylor led off the inning with a double to left-centerfield. Following a Jefferson sacrifice bunt to move Taylor to third, Haley executed a suicide-squeeze to push across the first run of the contest, giving the Flames the 1-0 advantage.
The Keydets (19-18, 8-8 Big South) answered right back in the home half of the fourth, as senior Roberts had his first of two base knocks on the contests, singling to center. A batter later, junior George Piccirilli doubled to deep centerfield to put runners on second and third with one out. Senior Haitsuka then grounded out to short, scoring Roberts from third to knot the contest at 1-1.
VMI displayed a bit of two-out magic in the fifth, as junior Chase Worthington drew a walk, which was followed by a base knock by senior Justin Hess to place runners on first and second for Roberts. The red-hot Roberts signled to left to extend his multi-hit streak to nine contests as load the bases for Graham Sullivan. The senior displayed the patience at the plate expected of a veteran, as he drew VMI's second walk of the inning to give the Keydets the 2-1 advantage.
The Flames tied the game up in the sixth, as Haley led off the frame with a single through the left side of the infield. A turning point in the contest game of a Cowgill throwing error on a pickoff attempt, as Haley advanced to third with no outs. The next batter, Ian Parmley, then grounded out to scored Haley and tie the game at 2-2.
VMI threatened to break the tie in the bottom of the seventh, as junior Jacob Morley doubled to lead off the inning. After a Worthington strikeout, Liberty starter John Niggli was relieved by Garrett Baker, who induced a Hess groundout and a Roberts pop-out to left to end the threat and set the stage for the decisive eighth inning.
After the Flames took the lead, Baker then nailed the game down, throwing two innings of hitless ball for his fourth win of the season. Sophomore Travis Thomas threw a scoreless ninth for the Keydets.
Niggli went 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits on two runs and fanned six. Cowgill suffers his first loss of the season (4-1), throwing eight innings and allowed three runs on six hits and tied a season-high with eight strikeouts. Baker picked up the win in relief to improve to 4-2, as he didn't allow a hit in 2.2 innings and struck out a trio of Keydets.
VMI concludes its series with the Flames on Saturday, April 23 from Gray-Minor Stadium with a twinbill beginning at 2 p.m.
