NASHVILLE - Lipscomb Baseball fell in their first-midweek contest of the season 8-5 to Western Kentucky at home. Lipscomb tied the game at five runs each in the seventh, but gave up three runs in the ninth and failed to plate any of their own to drop their third game of the year, moving to 1-3 on the season.

The Hilltoppers struck first in the Tuesday meeting, ripping back-to-back doubles out to right field to plate a run. Jake Lynch, starting pitcher for the Bisons, got out of the inning by forcing two ground out, but WKU still held an early 1-0 lead. 

WKU brought in their second run of the day on a sacrifice bunt in the top of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. They then extended their advantage to three on a sacrifice fly by Camden Ross to plate the runner on third.

Lipscomb began to chip away at their deficit, scoring one run in each of the next two innings to cut their lead down to one run. Third basemen Carter Richey singled through the left side to send home Trace Willhoite, who reached on a double, the Bisons' first hit of the evening. Then, later in the order, Adam Fallon earned an RBI on a sacrifice fly to left field to draw the Bisons closer at 3-2. 

The Hilltoppers continued their trend of one-run innings, adding to their lead twice with runs in the sixth and seventh. The first came by way of another sacrifice fly, this time out to center field, and then the second on a soft grounder to second base, which scored the runner from third. The runs gave the road team a 5-2 lead heading to the bottom half of the seventh.

Lipscomb had their most product frame of the night in their seventh, fighting back to tie the game a 5-all, scoring three runs, two on bases-loaded walks, and another on a wild pitch. 

After a three-up three-down top of the eight, the Bisons had opportunities to take the lead bottom half, as Fallon singled to center to start. Alex Vergara followed with a walk to put two on.

After a strikeout, two runs seemed to cross the plate for the Bisons on a high throw by the WKU catcher to third base in an attempt the catcher the runner from second stealing, but batters interference was called at the plate to wipe away the two scores that would have put the Bisons in front for the first time all game. Still with two runners on, Lipscomb couldn't bring anyone home, despite loading the bases, as the score remained 5-5 after eight full innings of action.

The Hilltoppers took the lead in the ninth on a double that narrowly stayed in the field of play down the right-field line by Blake Cavill, who had double twice prior. Moments later, two wild pitches sent Cavill from second to third and eventually home, gave the Hilltoppers a 7-5 advantage. 

Two-out magic continued for Western Kentucky as Ethan Lizama singled to center field to plate Cristian Garcia, who entered as a pinch runner for Camden Ross, who walked during his at-bat. 

Lipscomb got out of the inning on a strikeout but now needed magic of their own in the bottom of the ninth, down three runs. The Bisons got two on base with no outs and later two in scoring position with one out, but weren't able to make anything of the opportunity. 

POSTGAME NOTES

• Twenty-one pitchers got time on the mound in the midweek showing, 12 for Western Kentucky and nine for Lipscomb. 
• RHP Mason Burns earned his first win of the season for the Hilltoppers, while Lipscomb's RHP Evan Harmon moved to 0-1 on the year in his first appearance.
• The Hilltoppers edged the Bisons in hits 9-8, but the Bisons left 15 runners on base.
• Adam Fallon, Trace Willhoite, and Carter Richey each had two hits afternoons, while Mason Lundgin logged four walks in five appearances at the plate.
• Lipscomb falls to 11-15 during the program's Division-1 era against WKU, with the loss snapping their three-game winning streak over the Hilltoppers. 

UP NEXT
Lipscomb will host Xavier for their second weekend series of the season starting Friday, Feb. 23, with a 3 p.m. CT first pitch at Ken Dugan Field. For more information on Bisons Baseball, check lipscombsports.com or follow the team's social media accounts (@lipscombbaseball on IG and @BisonBaseball on X).