Bears take game one of final ASUN series over Bisons
Lipscomb baseball dropped the opener of its final ASUN regular-season series, falling 4-1 to Central Arkansas on Thursday night at Bear Stadium. With both teams tied for the top of the ASUN Gold Division, the loss shifts the postseason positioning battle as the Bisons look to secure a high seed for next week’s ASUN Championship in DeLand, Florida.
The Bears claimed an early advantage in the bottom of the first inning. After sophomore infielder Nate Negre reached on a walk and stole second base, he crossed the plate on a wild pitch to open the scoring. Central Arkansas added to the momentum in the second inning when redshirt freshman Mark Ross and junior infielder Keaton Laidley notched back-to-back RBI doubles. Junior outfielder Zeb Allen followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Lipscomb senior pitcher Alexander Llinas worked through the early pressure to settle into a rhythm, holding the Bears scoreless for the remainder of his outing. The Bisons’ defense held steady during a high-stakes third inning, navigating two base hits to strand three runners and keep the game within reach.
The Bisons found their rhythm in the top of the sixth. Junior utility Hutson Miles jump-started the offense with a single to third base. Moments later, senior utility Aaron Stelogeannis followed with a single into left-center to put runners on the corners. Junior infielder Cam Pruitt then drove a single into right field, plating Miles and cutting the deficit to 4-1. The run energized the Bisons’ dugout, but the Bears’ pitching staff managed to stifle the rally before further damage could be done.
Lipscomb’s bullpen provided a spark late in the game, as junior pitcher Mack Mabrey took the mound in the eighth and retired the side in order, highlighted by two strikeouts. However, Hunter Alexander, Arkansas’s closer and senior pitcher, regained full control in the ninth, striking out the slide to cap off the victory for the Bears.
The Bisons will look to bounce back and even the series Friday as the final push for the ASUN regular-season title continues. Lipscomb returns to Bear Stadium for Game 2 against Central Arkansas tonight at 6 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Lipscomb athletics.
