Final Score: Lipscomb: 4, Notre Dame: 2
Location: Nashville, Tenn. - (Ken Dugan Field) 
Records:  Lipscomb: (2-1), Notre Dame (1-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED 

The defenses for both ball clubs took command of the first six innings as the teams combined by three hits and three runners left on. Braydon Tucker got the start on the hill for the Bisons and pitched well in his six innings of work with three strikeouts. 

Notre Dame would break the ice in the top of the sixth, bringing in two runs on a homer that the wind carried over the left field wall. Lipscomb quickly responded in the bottom half as Alex Vergara opened the inning with a double down the left-field line. Mason Lundgrin then grounded out to short, which moved Vergara to third. Trace Willhoite followed that with a sacrifice fly to center field to score the Bisons' first run in game three and cut Notre Dame's lead in half (2-1).

The Fighting Irish limited the harm by recording the next two outs to get out of the inning up a run. Noah Thompson replaced Tucker on the mound in the seventh and pitched two flawless innings with no runs or hits allowed and two strikeouts. 

Thompson left it up to his squad's bats to win the Bisons' the series. Timely hitting for Coach Forehands' bunch came in the bottom of the 8th as the Bisons scored three runs with two outs in what ended up deciding the contest.

Willhoite came up clutch like he had all series with a double down the right-field line to keep the Bisons alive in the eight. After Jake Berg walked, David Coppedge singled through the left gap, allowing a run to score and the other base runner to advance to second.

Notre Dame then made a pitching change, but the Bisons managed to tally more runs to take the lead. Austin Kelly singled through the left side of the infield advancing the runners a base, then a poor throw by the Notre Dame left fielder allowed the runner to take another base, eventually scoring two more runs at the end of the sequence.

The Fighting Irish managed to get two runners on in the top of the ninth, but the Bisons retired the side, ending on strikeout thrown by Collin Witzke. Lipscomb Baseball took game three and won the opening weekend series over Notre Dame with a 4-2 decision in the series finale. 

HERD NOTES

• The win gives them their first Power Five series win since the Bisons took down Ohio State 2-1 in 2020. 
• Thompson earned the win after pitching two innings and allowing no base runners. 
• Witzke recorded the save, securing the final three outs. 
• Vergara finished 2-of-4 on the day with two doubles and a run scored.
• David Coppedge went a perfect 2-of-2 in his plate attempts with a double, single, and an RBI.
• As a team, the Bisons record seven hits in game three. 
• The pitching staff played lights out in the win, giving up just three hits and one walk.

UP NEXT
Lipscomb will host Southern Indiana for their first-midweek contest this season on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. CT.