By George Witkowski
For West Valley Preps

Win or lose, as long as his team keeps chipping away at the score, Liberty Lions baseball coach Chris Raymond said he cannot expect more from his team.

Fortunately for the Lions, they chipped away in the right direction during Tuesday night's elimination game, and made the most of the late innings.

The Lions (25-7) overcame one deficit to tie the score, added one more run in the fifth, and put up a pair of runs in the sixth inning for a 5-2 win over Gilbert Mesquite (22-11) in 5A play at Maryville Stadium in Phoenix.

The Lions continue their season against Kellis 6:30 p.m. May 11 at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

The teams split their first two meeting with Liberty defeating Kellis 7-5 March 8 and Kellis took a 7-2 win May 4 during first-round play of the 5A playoffs.

Raymond was pleased his team came through, since it just reinforced what he’s been saying all season long.

“The mantra for us winning innings and I think our guys embraced it,” Coach Raymond said. “We’ve played tough all the way through games and it makes us a tougher team . We’ll chip, chip, chip and our boys played relaxed and with composure.”

Mesquite scored two runs on a run-scoring triple and RBI single in the top of its second inning. Senior right-handed pitcher Travis Roberts shut down the Wildcats the rest of the way. The complete-game win for Roberts was his fourth against two losses.

Roberts said to himself to keep on keeping on throughout the contest. However, he kept his mind on every pitch, even though he played with a heavy heart.

“I just thought, ‘battle every pitch (and keep it) low and away,’” Roberts said. “It was more of win every pitch That two-run single (from senior shortstop Grant Lung) was a big weight off my shoulders. My mind was on my grandpa passing away, and this one was for him.”



 

 

Liberty broke through with a run in the third after one out on consecutive singles from senior right fielder Noah Tippery, senior second baseman Tyler Hajjar and Lung’s RBI single. The Lions might have scored more but two liners to left were caught junior David Watson.

Liberty broke through to stay as the fifth inning began with a walk, and one out later, Lung singled to right.

Following a second out, senior first baseman Sam Stewart came through with an RBI single to center, tying the score. Junior catcher Brady Welch joined the fun with a run-scoring single to left-center field.

Liberty added icing on the cake in the sixth on a one-out walk, stolen base with two outs. Another walk put runners at first and second, but a wild pitch on the play moved the runners to second and third, where Lung’s single just landed in front of an outstretched left fielder.

Lung was just doing what he had to when he delivered the two-run single to give Liberty a three-run cushion, although he had a feeling Roberts would deliver in the final inning.

“I wasn’t thinking ‘just get those two insurance runs,’” Lung said. “I had a feeling in the back of my head that Travis would shut them down in the seventh.

Roberts finished the complete-game effort settlng down the Wildcats in order.