Liberty heats up VCU

By Chris Lang

Published: May 13, 2008

The last two Mays, Liberty’s pitching staff has staggered to the finish line. Arms were tired, the bullpen depleted. The Flames entered the postseason gauntlet—where a team could potentially play six games in four days—undermanned.

After Clarence Nicely put together a second consecutive quality weekday start in Liberty’s 10-3 victory over state-rival VCU Tuesday night at Worthington Stadium, pitching depth doesn’t seem to be the issue it has been in years past.

Nicely (5-1), the Flames’ presumptive No. 1 starter entering the season until control problems forced him to the bullpen, allowed five hits and one earned run in six innings, striking out seven and walking two. The Flames are already armed with three weekend pitchers with sub-4.00 ERAs in David Stokes, Ryan Page and Dustin Umberger.

Add a potential strong starting/long relief option in Nicely, and two quality relievers in Andrew Wilson and Steven Evans, and the Flames might be—gasp!—pitching rich come Big South tournament time next week in Danville.

“Having a deeper staff is something that‘s really going to help us through those playoff games,” Liberty catcher Errol Hollinger said. “It‘s something we can rely on. I‘m feeling pretty confident in our team and in our pitching that we‘re going to do all right.”

The right-handed Nicely underwent Tommy John surgery on his pitching arm Oct. 26, 2006, and it’s taken him more than a year and a half to regain trust in his stuff. That was evident by his high walk rate early in the season. He’s issued 34 walks this season, more than twice the total of any other Flames pitcher.

But starting two weeks ago against George Mason, Nicely began to find consistent fastball command. To compare:

* In the last three starts, he’s held opponents to a .197 batting average and is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA with six walks and 20 strikeouts.

* In 11 appearances before the George Mason game April 30, opponents batted .357 against Nicely, and he was 3-1 with a 6.75 ERA, 28 walks and 35 strikeouts.

“My arm has felt really good the last couple of weeks,” Nicely said. “I‘ve been getting a lot of rest in between (starts). The fastball has been good. I‘ve had good control of it.”

Nicely won three battles with VCU’s Jared Bolden, the former E.C. Glass standout who entered the game on a 17-game hitting streak. He’s also hit 12 home runs in his last 16 games, including three last weekend at Hofstra. Bolden went 0-for-4 and Nicely retired him three times.

“I was trying to make him beat me with my best pitch—fastball in,” Nicely said. “It got the job done.”

The Flames (29-23-1), who are unbeaten in their last eight games, blew open a tight game in the eighth. Leading 5-3, Liberty scored five times on two hits, three walks and a hit batsman. Kenneth Negron hit a two-run single and P.K. Keller blasted a two-run double as the Flames turned the game into a rout.

“It was good that guys were coming up in the clutch, not giving up and thinking that a 5-3 lead is something we should settle on,” said Hollinger, who earlier hit a hanging slider off the scoreboard for a three-run home run. “It was nice to see guys stay disciplined at the plate and get their walks.”

Liberty is on its longest unbeaten streak (the Flames tied Longwood Sunday in a rain-shortened game) since the 2006 team won nine straight games. The Flames close the regular season with three home games against High Point, starting Friday. Liberty spent much of March and April struggling to stay above the .500 mark but has a chance to enter next week’s tournament with momentum.

“We‘re doing enough to win games,” Liberty coach Jim Toman said. “The pitching‘s been good. The defense has been OK. The hitting has been timely.”

NOTES: With one more victory, LU will record its fourth straight 30-win season, a program first. … OF Aaron Grijalva re-injured his groin Sunday against Longwood but appeared as a pinch hitter Tuesday, drawing an intentional walk. … Wilson and Evans combined to throw three perfect innings with five strikeouts.