LYNCHBURG, Va. — The WVU baseball team suffered a 9-2 loss at Liberty on Saturday afternoon, equalizing the weekend series at 1-1.
Corey Walter (2-4) lasted 6 1/3 innings for the Mountaineers, allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
Right-hander Brooks Roy picked up the win for Liberty, striking out five in seven innings. Roy let up two runs on five hits with four walks. Bryan Aanderud batted 3-for-5 with six RBis, while Ashton Perritt went 3-for-4 with four runs and an RBI.
Sophomore shortstop Taylor Munden scored one run and drove in another in the first and seventh innings, respectively. Munden finished 2-for-3 to lead the WVU offense.
Munden opened the game with a ground-rule double. Munden came around to make it 1-0 on a sacrifice fly to left center field by junior first baseman Ryan McBroom.
Munden then drove in junior designated hitter Matt Frazer with a two-out single in the top of the seventh. Frazer had reached on a walk and advanced to second on a single to center field by sophomore second baseman Justin Fox.
Down 1-0, Liberty tied the game in the bottom half of the first as Perritt’s fly ball carried to the right-field wall for a triple. Perritt was plated by Bryan Aanderud, who grounded out to second base.
Perritt scored his second run of the game in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead as Trey Wimmer hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Flames extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth following an Alex Close double down the left-field line. Close was driven in during the next at bat following a Dalton Britt single to center field.
After WVU cut the Liberty lead to 3-2 in the top of the seventh, the Flames notched two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame as Aanderud hit a two-run single to right field bringing the score to 5-2.
The lead expanded to 9-2 in the eighth inning as Aanderud cleared the bases with a double into deep center field.
WVU and Liberty conclude the three-game series Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.com.