Final Score:  Lipscomb: 3, FGCU: 6
Location:  Ft. Myers, Fla.  (Swanson Stadium) 
Records:  Lipscomb: 35-21, FGCU: 35-22

THE SHORT STORY
Lipscomb Baseball was unable to hold on to a late lead against FGCU in day two of the ASUN Tournament, ultimately falling 6-1 after a costly eighth inning. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Chandler Giles got the starting nod for the first time this season and had a shaky start, issuing a leadoff walk, but he quickly recovered and found the zone, retiring the next two he saw with a pair of strikeouts. Lipscomb notched the first hit of the game with a Maddux Houghton single in the bottom of the first, but he was stranded as the game was scoreless through the first inning. 
 
Giles continued his strong work on the mound, retiring six of the next seven Eagles he faced in the second and third to keep the game scoreless. FGCU got runners at second and third in the top of the third with two outs and Tyler Legere came out of the bullpen. He struck out the next batter with just four pitches to keep FGCU from plating either runner in the fourth. 
 
John Shields laced a two-out hit up the middle in the home half of the fourth, but he was stranded, and the defensive battle continued with a scoreless game through four complete frames. 
 
The Bisons went back to the bullpen for the top of the fifth and Patrick Williams kept FGCU scoreless in the top of the fifth. 
 
Lipscomb finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth for the first run of the game. Caleb Ketchup got the rally started with a one-out walk after fighting off several really good pitches. Houghton stayed hot with a single to center field and the pair successfully completed a double steal. With two on and just one out, Mason Lundgrin did what he needed to do and put the ball in play. The ground ball allowed Ketchup to score for a 1-0 lead. 
 
Patrick Williams continued on the mound through the next two innings, facing just one over the minimum, keeping FGCU scoreless and the Lipscomb lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Bisons knocked on the door with a couple of base runners in the bottom of the seventh, but a fly ball ended the inning, stranding the runners. 
 
FGCU surged to the lead in the top of the eighth. Back-to-back hits scored a run to tie the game and Lipscomb's pitching ran into problems with four hit batters and a walk to drive five runs across home plate without the advantage of a hit for a 6-1 FGCU lead. 
 
Lipscomb found itself needing five runs in the bottom of the ninth to stay alive. After a quick out, Houghton worked a walk to get the first base runner of the inning. Malik Williams stepped up with two outs and took a big swing and sent the ball over the left field fence to give Lipscomb some life and cut the Eagles' lead 6-3. The rally continued as Rudy Maxwell singled and Trace Willhoite worked a walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but a fly ball ended the game as Lipscomb's comeback fell short. 
 
HERD NOTES

• Lipscomb out-hit FGCU 7-5 on the afternoon. 
• Houghton went 3-for-4 and was the only Bison with multiple hits. 
• The Bisons left 13 runners on base. 
• With today's results, Lipscomb has cemented a spot in Friday's semifinal round.

 
UP NEXT
Lipscomb will finish pool play Thursday, May 26 with a matchup against No. 1 Liberty at 10 a.m. CT at Swanson Stadium.