Bisons walk-off in extras: Beddingfield’s heroics seal comeback over Colonels
In a marathon battle against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and a biting late-March chill, the Lipscomb Bisons proved that patience and a little late-inning power pay off. Behind a game-tying blast in the ninth and a towering walk-off home run by freshman catcher Brock Beddingfield in the 12th, the Bisons secured a gritty 3-2 victory at Ken Dugan Field on Friday night.
The evening started quickly for the Colonels. In the top of the first inning, Eastern Kentucky redshirt freshman outfielder Dylan Littlefield silenced the home crowd with a two-run homer off Lipscomb senior starting pitcher Alexander Llinas, jumping out to an immediate 2-0 lead.
For the next several innings, the story was one of missed opportunities and defensive stands. Eastern Kentucky redshirt junior pitcher Bradley Gagen kept the Bisons largely at bay, despite Lipscomb putting runners in scoring position. The Bisons finally got on the board in the bottom of the second when junior infielder Cam Pruitt launched a solo shot to right field, cutting the lead to 1-2 and injecting life back into the dugout.
The middle innings turned into a pitchers’ duel. Llinas and later redshirt sophomore pitcher Adam Jamison worked out of several high-pressure situations, especially in the sixth and eighth innings, when Kentucky threatened to extend its lead with multiple runners on base. Crucial strikeouts of redshirt junior infielder Ricco Longo and senior outfielder Julius Scearce kept the Bisons within striking distance as the game entered the final innings.
Down to their final three outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Bisons looked to the bench for a spark. Redshirt junior first base Danny Ramirez, pinch-hitting for redshirt sophomore catcher Simon Scharff, delivered the play of the night. Ramirez connected on a game-tying solo home run to right field, sending the Bisons dugout into a frenzy and forcing extra innings with the score tied 2-2.
As the temperature continued to drop and the game stretched into the 12th inning, the Bisons’ bullpen remained strong. Graduate pitcher Collin Bosley-Smith provided scoreless relief, keeping the Colonels off the board through the 11th and 12th innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Beddingfield stepped to the plate looking to end the night. He connected on a pitch and sent the ball deep into the left-field night, then rounded the bases on a walk-off solo home run to seal the 3-2 win.
The Bisons will look to carry this momentum into the second game of the series. The teams will meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Ken Dugan Field.
Featured image taken by Micah Barkley.
