CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — The Liberty Flames capitalized on early offense and a strong start from their pitching staff to defeat The Citadel Bulldogs 7-3 on Friday evening at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, opening the 2026 college baseball season for both teams.

Liberty, the visiting team, seized control with a pair of multi-run innings against Citadel starter Will Holmes. The Flames broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third when Trey Marsh singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored ahead of Rocco DeCandido, who launched a two-run homer to right field.

The Flames extended their lead in the fourth. After a walk and a single, Derek Grabowski delivered a two-run single to left center, scoring both runners for a 4-0 advantage.

Liberty put the game out of reach with a three-run fifth inning. Marsh led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Drumm. Following a pitching change that brought in Zane Davis for Holmes, Noah Barone greeted the new arm with a two-run homer down the left-field line, plating DeCandido who had been hit by a pitch. That sequence pushed the lead to 7-0.

Citadel’s offense was stifled for most of the afternoon by Liberty pitchers, managing just four hits and grounding into two double plays. The Bulldogs did not score until the eighth inning, taking advantage of Liberty defensive miscues. Lane Tobin, who was hit by a pitch, came around to score on an unearned run during a double play.

The Bulldogs mounted a final, unearned rally in the bottom of the ninth against Liberty reliever Josh McCusker. A double by Daniels and a pinch-hit single from Miles Barbrey set the table. Another pinch-hitter, Garrett Fulmer, reached on an error by the Liberty left fielder, allowing one run to score. Tobin then drove in another with a fielder’s choice, cutting the deficit to 7-3. McCusker halted the threat there, striking out Matthew Lively to end the game.

The most important part of the game was Liberty’s immediate response after taking the initial lead. Instead of allowing Citadel a chance to recover from DeCandido’s two-run homer in the third, the Flames’ offense continued to pressure Holmes in the fourth and fifth innings. The consecutive multi-run frames, culminating in Barone’s two-run shot in the fifth, transformed a narrow 2-0 advantage into a commanding 7-0 lead. This offensive surge provided ample cushion for the pitching staff and effectively decided the contest before Citadel’s late, error-aided rallies.

Liberty’s Josh McCusker earned the save, recording the final out. The Flames begin the season 1-0, while the Bulldogs start 0-1. The teams continue their three-game series Saturday and Sunday at The Joe.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Liberty entered with a 70.90 percent probability to win.

Liberty’s next 10 games include the remainder of the series with Citadel, followed by home series against West Virginia and Hofstra. Citadel’s upcoming schedule features the series with Liberty, a home set against Marshall, and a challenging road series at Florida State.