LYNCHBURG, Va. - The CSU baseball team may have struck first, but they were unable to hold onto their lead late in the game in opened the Big South Conference season with a 2-1 loss to Liberty on Friday evening at Worthington Stadium in Lynchburg, Va.

The Bucs (10-9, 0-1) and the Flames (10-9, 1-0) will meet again tomorrow in a 3 p.m. contest in Lynchburg.

Jaren Sustar went 2-for-4 and scored the team's lone run in the first inning. Matt Still was also 2-for-4, while Nick Chinners and Walt Quattlebaum each had a hit as well for the Bucs.

Starter Stew Brase took the loss, but still had a strong outing. Brase struck out six and gave up just two earned runs off of six hits in 8.0 innings.

Liberty's Keegan Linza picked up the win, giving up one run off of eight hits while striking out 10 CSU batters in 9.0 innings. Offensively, Ian Parmley was 3-for-4 with an RBI while Casey Rasmus was 2-for-4 with.

Sustar singled up the middle early in the first, and then advanced to third when Chinners singled to right field. A wild pitch brought Sustar home to give the Bucs the 1-0 lead early on.

Brase held the Flames scoreless for the first four innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Zach Haley reached on a fielder's choice then stole second. Parmley singled to left field, driving home Haley to tie things up at 1-1.

In the seventh inning, Matt Robertson singled to right center then stole second. A single by Parmley put Robertson at third before Tyler Bream reached on a fielder's choice, enabling Robertson to make it home and give Liberty the 2-1 victory.