Bisons blast Bears 16-5 to even final ASUN series
Lipscomb baseball answered Thursday night’s loss with an explosive for 21 hits in a dominant 16-5 victory over the Central Arkansas Bears on Friday night at Bear Stadium. The win evens the critical, regular-season-ending ASUN series at one game apiece and sets up a high-stakes finale on Saturday afternoon.
The Bisons wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to an early advantage in the top of the first inning. Junior utility Hutson Miles notched a lead-off single to left field. Then, junior infielder Cam Pruitt followed with an RBI double to right-center to open the scoring. Lipscomb added to the early momentum moments later when sophomore Blake Carter crushed a two-run home run to left field, extending the first-inning lead to 4-0.
Lipscomb’s senior pitcher, Jace Trautner, worked through early pressure, including a two-run blast by Central Arkansas’ graduate catcher, Casey Shipley, in the second inning that narrowed the margin. However, the Bisons’ defense held steady, with Trautner turning a critical double play in the fifth inning to strand a runner and keep the game under control.
The Bisons found an extra gear in their offensive rhythm as the night progressed. Senior utility Aaron Stelogeannis jump-started a three-run fifth inning with a solo home run dead center. The hit parade surged again in the top of the seventh when freshman infielder Cole Pippenger launched a two-run home run to left field, plating graduate infielder Kai Holm and pushing the score 12-3.
In the top of the ninth, Lipscomb broke the game open, ensuring there would be no late-inning comeback. The Bisons capitalized on an RBI single from senior infielder Damion Kenealy Jr. and a clutch, two-run single by freshman catcher Brock Beddingfield to cap off a four-run inning, cementing the double-digit lead.
Lipscomb’s bullpen provided a solid lift late into the Friday night clash. Freshman pitcher Jackson Lee entered in the sixth and logged four dominant innings of work, striking out five Bears. Lee shut the door completely in the bottom of the ninth, striking out the final two batters looking to secure the bounce-back victory.
The Bisons will look to carry this explosive momentum into tomorrow’s regular-season finale with ASUN championship seeding on the line. Lipscomb faces Central Arkansas for the decisive game 3 at Bear Stadium on this afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Lipscomb athletics
