LIONS EVEN BASEBALL SERIES WITH LIBERTY WITH 6-3 WIN
FLORENCE, Ala. -- Bryant Claunch pitched five and a third scoreless innings and Kevin Brenning blasted a three-run home run in the sixth inning as the University of North Alabama evened its ASUN Conference baseball series with Liverty with a 6-3 win.

North Alabama dropped the opening game of the series to the current conference leader on Friday night 16-2, but bounced back with solid performances on Saturday at the plate, on the mound and in the field for its second league win of the season.

UNA is now 7-23 overall and 2-6 in the ASUN, after picking up its fourth win in the last eight games.  Liberty is now 23-7 and 6-2.

UNA took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Tate Mathis walked, stole second and scored on an RBI-single by Peyton Sockwell.

Liberty took the lead with a three-run fourth inning off UNA starter Jacob Laws. Laws allowed three runs on just two hits over three and two-thirds innings but he walked two and hit four batters. Claunch was able to get the final out of the fourth and went the rest of the distance for the Lions.

After leaving seven batters on base through the first four innings, UNA finally had a big inning at the plate in the sixth. Sockwell reached on a bunt single and Reid Homan and Colt Chrestman reached on errors. A Harris Kain sacrifice fly scored one run and Brenning crushed a three-run home run to right field to put UNA on top 5-3. It was his second homer of the season after missing the majority of the 2019 season due to injury.

Liberty continued to threaten but Claunch was able to strand eight base runners over the last five innings.

The Lions got an insurance run in the eighthwhen Brenning singled and later scored on a Ben Kiefer RBI-single.

Claunch (2-1) got the win, allowing no runs on five hits in five and a third innings. He walked three and struckout five.

Noah Skirrow (2-3) took the loss for Liberty. He gave up four runs on four hits over five innings.

The Lions and Flames play the final game of the series on Sunday at noon at Mike Lane Field.


Tate Mathis and Reid Homan celebrate UNA run in the third inning