Final Score:  Lipscomb: 5, WKU: 3
Location:  Bowling Green, Ky. (Nick Denes Field) 
Records:  Lipscomb: 22-15, WKU: 13-23

THE SHORT STORY
Lipscomb Baseball picked up its fourth-straight win Tuesday night with a 5-3 decision over Western Kentucky in non-conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
Western Kentucky took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when a one-out double eventually came around to score, but in his first start of the season, Hayden Frank, limited the damage with a strikeout to get out of the inning. 
 
After a scoreless second inning, the Lipscomb bats got going in the top of the third. John Shields notched the Bisons' first hit of the night with a leadoff single and Hayden Skipper followed that with a one-out single for a pair of base runners. WKU threatened to strand the runners, but Maddux Houghton delivered a two-out RBI single through the left side to tie the game 1-1. Lipscomb took the lead when Mason Lundgrin knocked an RBI single to right-center field for a 2-1 Bisons' lead. 
 
The Hilltoppers bounced back to tie the game in the bottom of the third when a leadoff walk scored when the next batter doubled. After a wild pitch, WKU had the go-ahead run at third base with no outs, but Chandler Giles got a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball to get out of the inning knotted up 2-2. 
 
After Jared Shemper and Tyler Legere combined for a three up, three down bottom of the fourth, Lipscomb retook the lead in the fifth inning. Lillo Paxia started the inning when he reached on a hit by pitch. Chaz Bertolani came out of the dugout to pinch run for Paxia and was sacrificed to second base by Skipper. After Bertolani advanced to third on a wild pitch, Caleb Ketchup drove him in with a double to center field for a 3-2 lead. The Bisons' lead quickly increased when Houghton followed with another RBI double, this one down the right line, for a 4-2 advantage. The Hilltoppers made a pitching change and quickly retired the next two batters but would head to the bottom of the fifth with a two-run deficit. 
 
Noah Thompson retired WKU in order with a pair of punch outs in the bottom of the fifth, keeping the Lipscomb lead at two. The Hilltoppers, however, kept Lipscomb off the board in the sixth and responded with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Bisons' lead 4-3. 
 
The Bisons scored another run in the top of the eighth for a 5-3 lead after Trace Willhoite worked a leadoff walk and Shields put him on third with a single through the left side. Willhoite scored when Bertolani sent a one-out ground ball to the shortstop to drive the run across home plate.
 
Matthew Bohnert was called out of the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth and held the Hilltoppers scoreless to send Lipscomb to the ninth with a 5-3 lead. Trey Nordmann closed the game out, forcing a fly ball and striking out a pair for his sixth save of the season.
 
HERD NOTES

• Shields led Lipscomb with three hits while Houghton notched a pair of hits and two RBI. 
• Lundgrin also had two hits and an RBI. 
• Legere picked up his first win of the season while Nordmann earned his sixth save. 
• Giles, Thompson and Nordmann all had two strikeouts in an inning of work. 
• Lipscomb out-hit WKU 9-6. 

 
UP NEXT
Lipscomb will continue its seven-game road stretch with an ASUN road series at Jacksonville State. First pitch in Jacksonville, Ala. Is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, April 22.