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Caleb Ketchup
5
Jacksonville State JSU 25-27
6
Winner Lipscomb LIP 32-22
Jacksonville State JSU
25-27
5
Final
6
Lipscomb LIP
32-22
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Jacksonville State JSU 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 5 11 0
Lipscomb LIP 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 1 6 7 2

W: Smith, Ethan (2-0) L: Trey Fortner (2-6)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Ketchup's Walk-Off Grants Baseball the ASUN Regular Season Title

Final Score: Lipscomb: 6 , Jacksonville State: 5
Location: Nashville, Tenn. (Ken Dugan Field) 
Records: Lipscomb: (32-22, 22-7 ASUN), Jacksonville State (25-27, 18-11 ASUN)

HOW IT HAPPENED 

The Bisons claimed their second straight ASUN regular season crown on a bottom-of-the-ninth-inning walk-off homer from sophomore shortstop Caleb Ketchup to claim their 10th consecutive ASUN series. With a win tomorrow the Bisons can win the conference outright and secure the top seed in the ASUN Championships in DeLand, Florida next week. 

Lipscomb broke a scoreless ball game in the third on a single to left field by Alec Gonzalez to score Will Lee after he doubled to left center for the first hit of the day by the Bisons. 

After a scoreless fourth from both sides, the Gamecocks plated four runs, the first coming on a ground out to shortstop with a runner on third. They then connected on a single and double, scoring three for a 4-1 lead, but the Bisons would eventually get their bats going as well in the bottom of the six, plating four to take a 5-4 lead. 

Lipscomb's at-bat in the sixth started with a single to left center by Ketchup, who then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alex Vergara began the scoring for the Bisons as he then sent a two-run shot to center field, his 16th of this year's campaign. Later in the order, left fielder Jake Berg doubled down the left-field line to score Mason Lundgrin and Austin Kelly, who singled after the homer and walked later in the order.

However, it didn't take long for Jacksonville State to respond as they roped a solo home run to left center which evened the score at five runs each moments later.

Neither team plated any runs to get an edge in the eighth, but Lipscomb pitching staff continued to throw well giving the Bisons the chance they needed in the ninth. Ethan Smith took over on the mound for the Bisons in the seventh and shut down the Gamecocks in the final two frames. Jacksonville State didn't go away quitely, threatening in the top of the ninth, with a base runner to third, but Smith got out of the inning, ending with a dynamic strikeout, leaving it up to the Bisons offense. 

In walk-off fashion, Caleb Ketchup was deemed the hero in game two as he blasted a solo homer to left field with two outs and nobody on to give Lipscomb at least a share of the ASUN 2023 regular season title.

HERD NOTES: 

  • The title marks back-to-back ASUN regular season championships for the program.
  • Coach Forehand's ball club has won each ASUN series this season, going a perfect 10-0. 
  • Lipscomb was outhit in the win 11-7 but finished with six RBI. 
  • Caleb Ketchup's homer was his 14 of the year, increasing the Bisons' total to 93, 27 over the previous record. 
  • Tucker and Smith tossed a combined eight strikeouts with a 67.9 percentage strike percentage.
  • Lipscomb finished 3-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving only five on base. 

UP NEXT
The Bisons will take on Jacksonville State in the regular season and series finale Saturday, May 20,. First pitch is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. CT at Ken Dugan Field. 

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