LYNCHBURG, Virginia - The Red Foxes were tied or in the lead against the Flames for more than half of the game, but a pair of sacrifice-flies in the eighth made the difference as Liberty took game two of the series, 6-4.

Starter Erubiel Candelario tossed for 4.2 innings with five strikeouts. Reece Armitage scored two runs while three Red Foxes recorded RBIs.
 

SUMMARY

• Liberty put the first run on the board in the first inning, but Marist scored twice in the second to earn the lead. Dylan Hoy walked in a run, and Patrick Lightner's sacrifice-bunt drove in Matt Rubayo.
• The Flames tied up the game in the bottom of the inning, and then jumped ahead in the fifth on an RBI-double from Brandon Rohrer.
• The Red Foxes responded with an RBI-groundout from Rubayo for the tie in the sixth. Reece Armitage reached home on a fielding error shortly after to put Marist ahead 4-3.
• Liberty found luck with three sac-flies in the sixth and eighth innings to score three runs and take home the 6-4 final decision.

STATS

• Four Red Foxes saw time on the mound today. Zane Kmietek, Skyler Pichardo and Jack Keenan did not give up a hit in 3.1 combined innings of work.
• Matt Rubayo, Dylan Hoy and Patrick Lightner each recorded RBIs.
• The Marist pitching staff held Liberty to a .182 average throughout the game, allowing just four hits in 22 at-bats.

UP NEXT

The series finale takes place on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.