Flames end Kats tourney run on Day 2

Thursday, May 21

Kennesaw, Ga.

9:00 AM

25-33

Liberty

39-18

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Liberty	0	1	1	0	0	4	0	0	4	10	12	2
Sam Houston	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	1	4	6	1

Photo by: Maddie Wilson

Flames end Kats tourney run on Day 2

5/21/2026 12:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KENNESAW, Ga. – The No. 2 seeded Liberty Flames used a pair of 3-run homers to fuel a pair of big innings in handing the No. 8 seeded Sam Houston a 10-4 loss on the second day of the Conference USA Tournament at Mickey Dunn Stadium.

The Flames (39-18) entered the week as the No. 2 seed and needed just a single victory on either Thursday or Friday to advance to the tournament semifinals and got just that behind early timely hitting and 4-run frames in both the sixth and ninth innings.

Sam Houston (25-33) had plenty of opportunities and still trailed just 6-3 after eight innings, despite finishing just 2-for-20 with runners on base and stranding a dozen runners, but Liberty managed to wiggle out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to keep the lead and then got a 3-run homer from Nick Barone to put the game to bed in the top of the ninth.

It was the second 3-run long ball of the day for the Flames after Kyle Hvidsten had given the No. 2 seed a 6-1 lead with one of his own in the sixth, putting Liberty up 6-1 at the time.

Bearkat starter Tate Hickman allowed just two runs through five innings of work before being lifted two batters into the sixth inning. He punched out three and walked just one but was charged with his fourth loss of the season.

CUSA Pitcher of the Year Ben Blair got the start for the Flames and logged 6.0 innings, striking out four but also issuing a season-high five walks on a day in which Liberty pitchers issued 10 free passes and hit a pair of batters; however, Blair only allowed three hits to earn his seventh victory of the season. He handed it off to Tyler August in the seventh, but it was Cooper Harrington who earned the save after going the final 1.2 on the mound.

Jace Martinez led the way at the plate for Sam Houston with a hit and a pair of RBI, while Hunter Alvord had two hits, including the Kats' only extra-base hit with a double in the second. Sean Bazmore added an RBI double in the ninth and reached base four times in five total plate appearances.

Hickman was able to minimize damage in the early innings, but Liberty was still able to get out to an early 2-0 lead on RBI singles from Landon Scilley and Jordan Jaffe in the second and third innings.

Sam Houston got one back in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk by Martinez, but Blair was able to stop things right there and ultimately worked his way through the sixth despite putting at least one runner on base in every inning he was on the mound.

Liberty was then able to break it open in the sixth, scoring a run on three straight singles to open the inning before Kyle Hvidsten made it a big inning with a 3-run homer to up the lead to 6-1.

It stayed right there until the eighth when the Kats had their best chance to draw even. A single by Alvord and a pair of walks loaded the sacks with one out and Martinez made it 6-2 with a single to deep right-center. But Harrington only surrendered one more when he hit Curtis with a pitch, which was sandwiched around strikeouts of Ryan Franden and Cade Corcoran to leave the bases loaded.

Sam Houston may have been able to have a chance in the ninth, but the Flames had one more big inning in them and Barone's 3-run blast in the top of the ninth ultimately proved to be the knockout blow.