CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Mason Meyer and Garret Price combined to pitch a six-hitter as Liberty defeated Tennessee 6-1 in an NCAA baseball tournament regional matchup that started Friday night and ended early Saturday morning.
The third-seeded Flames (43-19) play Saturday at 6 p.m. against No. 1 seed North Carolina (43-17), which edged No. 4 seed UNC Wilmington 7-6 on Friday. Tennessee (38-20), the No. 2 seed, faces UNCW (32-30) at 1 in an elimination game.
Jonathan Embry put Liberty ahead for good with a two-run homer off Garrett Stallings (8-5) in the first inning. Tyler Galazin doubled home Logan Mathieu in the third to make it 3-0.
Liberty’s Brandon Rohrer scored in the sixth and knocked home two runs with a two-out single in the seventh.
Mason (6-4) allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Price yielded one hit in 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief.
Evan Russell homered in the seventh for Tennessee.
Stallings allowed four runs – three earned – and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.