Final Score:  Lipscomb: 9, Central Arkansas: 2
Location:  Nashville, Tenn. (Ken Dugan Field)
Records:  Lipscomb: 25-18 (12-8, ASUN), Central Arkansas: 19-22 (13-7, ASUN)
 
THE SHORT STORY 
Lipscomb Baseball fell behind early but rallied to defeat Central Arkansas 9-2 in a crucial ASUN matchup to even the series. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Central Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when a leadoff walk came around to score. The Bears looked to add to the lead with a couple of runners in scoring position, but Collin Witzke got a big strikeout to end the inning. 
 
Lipscomb got its first base hit of the afternoon in the bottom of the third with a one-out single from Chaz Bertolani, but he was stranded in scoring position. The Bears increased its lead by a run in the top of the fourth when a hit batsman scored on an RBI double for a 2-0 lead. 
 
In the home half of the fourth, Lipscomb cut the lead in half. Mason Lundgrin worked a walk to start the inning and got to third when Rudy Maxwell singled through the left side. Trace Willhoite laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that scored Lundgrin, cutting the UCA lead 2-1 after the fourth inning. 
 
The Bears threatened again in the top of the fifth with a pair of base runners and Lipscomb went to the bullpen. Gavin Grubbs came in and forced a ground ball to get out of the innings without any damage. Lipscomb took advantage in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Bertolani stayed hot with a one-out single up the middle and Caleb Ketchup cashed in with a rocket over the left field fence. His third home run of the season drove in a pair of runs for a 3-2 lead after the fifth inning. 
 
Maxwell led off the bottom of the sixth and single handedly scored another with a long ball over the left field fence. His sixth home run of the season gave the Bisons a 4-2 lead. 
 
Noah Thompson made a relief appearance in the top of the sixth inning and made quick work of Central Arkansas through the next three innings, keeping the Bears off the board through the eighth. 
 
Momentum stayed in Lipscomb's favor in the bottom of the eighth when Lundgrin hit a leadoff double to center field. Malik Williams followed the double up with a single to left field for runners on the corners. The hits kept coming when Maxwell put a ground ball through the left side to score another run to extend the lead 5-2. Lipscomb's offense stayed hot with a bunt single from John Shields to score another run and a double from Ethan Stamps that cleared the bases for an 8-2 advantage. The final run of the inning came when Ketchup connected on an RBI single to left field, giving the Bisons a 9-2 advantage. 
 
Trey Nordmann came in and quickly retired the Bears in order to close out the victory and tie the series 1-1. 
 
HERD NOTES

• Ketchup, Maxwell and Bertolani all had multi-hit games. 
• Gavin Grubbs improved to 1-1 on the season from the hill. 
• Witzke threw 4.2 innings allowing two runs and three hits. 
• Ketchup also notched three RBI on the afternoon.

 
UP NEXT
The rubber game of the series is slated for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 1 at Ken Dugan Field.