KENNESAW, Ga. – Lipscomb baseball dropped a pair of games at Kennesaw State on Friday afternoon. The Bisons fell 6-2 in the first game of a double bill and dropped a 7-0 decision in the second game of the day.
GAME 1
After going scoreless in the top of the first, the Bisons fell behind early due to a costly error. Kennesaw State took advantage of an inning that was continued due to an error and a three-run homer gave the Owls an early 3-0 lead.
The teams were scoreless through the next three innings as Kennesaw State continued to hold a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth inning.
Lipscomb history was made in the fourth inning when
Mason Lundgrin earned a walk to become the Lipscomb program leader in walks at 124.
Kennesaw threatened in the bottom of the fifth with a runner at third, but Lipscomb got the out needed to keep the lead at just three.
In the bottom of the sixth, a leadoff walk came around to score on a deep single for a 4-0 Kennesaw State lead.
After being hitless through six innings, the Bisons finally got on the board when
Trace Willhoite connected on a two-out solo home run, shaving the Owls' lead back to three runs (4-1).
The Bisons kept things going with an
Austin Kelly two-out single and a
Will Lee walk to put the tying run at the plate. The Lipscomb rally, however, was thwarted as the third out came from a chopper to third as the game entered the seventh inning stretch.
The Owls threatened again in the bottom of the seventh with runners on the corners, but
Michael Dunkelberger forced the third out to strand the runners, keeping the Lipscomb deficit at three.
In the top of the eighth, the Bisons cut the lead by another run when
Kyle Hetherington homered to right field, cutting the KSU lead 4-2.
Lipscomb's rally was once again short lived as the next batter was out as the game headed into the bottom of the eighth.
In the home half of the inning, Kennesaw State got the run back and then some with a pair of runs to extend its lead 6-2.
The Bisons were unable to get anything going in the bottom of the ninth and ultimately fell 6-2 in the first game of the double header.
GAME 2
Lipscomb was retired in the top of the first to start the second game of the afternoon and Kennesaw State responded by loading the bases with a pair of outs. The Owls then delivered a single to right field that drove two runs across for an early 2-0 lead. The Bisons limited the damage at the pair and got out of the inning with just a two-run deficit.
David Coppedge got Lipscomb's first hit in the top of the second, but he was stranded as the Bisons still looked for its first run of the game. After keeping KSU off the board in the second, the Bisons threatened with runners on the corners in the top of the third, but a strikeout ended the inning scoreless.
Kennesaw State added a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to hold a 4-0 advantage after three complete innings.
The Bisons bounced back by getting two runners on with one out in the top of the fourth, but a double play ended the inning scoreless.
After three scoreless innings, the Bisons got something going in the top of the seventh.
David Coppedge got things going with a walk and
Parks Bouck got a one-out single to put runners on first and second with one out. Kennesaw State, however, forced a pair of strikeouts to end the inning with the Bisons still searching for its first run. In the seventh inning, the Owls added a run to increase its advantage to 5-0.
A two-run long ball in the bottom of the eighth made the score 7-0 in advantage of the Owls.
Ultimately the Bisons were shutout 7-0 in the second game of the series.
UP NEXT
The Bisons will finish the series Saturday, May 18. First pitch is set for noon.
