State flames out against Liberty

The baseball team was pounded 17-5 against Liberty Wednesday. The loss takes the Pack to 13-11 on the season and Liberty moves to 16-5. Mark Swanson for Liberty picked up the win and freshman starting pitcher Cory Mazzoni received the loss. The loss also ends the Pack’s three-game winning streak dating back to the Wake Forest series. 

“It started out on the wrong foot, and it just felt like it stayed like that. We battled back momentarily to make it 5-4, but when they punched us the next time we just didn’t get up,” coach Elliott Avent said. “We stayed down for the count and that’s the disappointing part.”

Many players on the team are embarassed by the loss and question their pride for themselves, the team and the school. 

“Tough can’t even describe it — it’s embarrassing. They started off with a few runs and we battled back, but we just lost it. It felt like it didn’t matter anymore,” junior Dallas Poulk said. “We just have to keep battling — it’s an uphill battle from here. We will see what we are really made of and see if we can stay together. It’s all about pride, you have to have pride for this team and this school, which is what it comes down to.”

The Flames opened up the game on fire stringing together three hits in a row, ending with a two-run homerun by Jeff Jefferson. The Flames went on to score five runs in the inning and knocked Mazzoni out of the game after recording just one out. 

“Cory Mazzoni is a guy that in the fall and preseason was very effective. He was able to command three pitches for a strike, could throw it anywhere he wanted to and he has just got off to a bad start this season and has just lost a little confidence,” Avent said. “We just want to get Cory going because he can pitch, and he is going to be really good for us.”

The Pack scratched back into the game through scoring one run in the first and second inning and two in the third, one coming off and RBI single from junior pinch hitter Kyle Wilson, scoring Dallas Poulk from second. Liberty was able to pad their lead in the later innings scoring four runs in the sixth, two runs in the seventh and five in the ninth to secure the victory.

Liberty was led at the plate by Trey Wimmer, who had four hits and four RBIs, and Jefferson, who was 3-3 with a homerun. 

“It’s tough to take a loss like that, one where you have to scratch and claw to get back into it and things just don’t go your way,” junior Wade Moore said. “We have to find ourselves, we have time, but we have to start making some strides quickly.”

State threw about everyone it had in the pen today using seven total pitchers. The pitchers combined to give up a season-high 17 runs and gave up 23 hits, also a season high. 

“They are a good hitting team,” Avent said. “When you are hitting good, you come in with a lot of confidence, so a couple things go your way and sometimes it dominos.”