NASHVILLE – A grand slam by Ryan Austin and a two-homer game by Kai Holm helped Lipscomb University to a 10-7 victory over Bellarmine University to begin a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series, Friday afternoon inside Ken Dugan Field. 

Final Score: Lipscomb 10, Bellarmine 7
Location: Ken Dugan Field
Records: Lipscomb (7-13, 2-2), Bellarmine (5-16, 1-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The bats came to life for both sides early. Bellarmine started the scoring with two runs in the first with an RBI single by Casey Sorg and a failed pickoff attempt. 

However, the Bisons did not waste time in the bottom half of the first inning. Brady Miller, who started the inning with a two-bagger, later scored on a wild pitch. Later, after a base hit by Kai Holm and a full count walk to Damion Kenealy Jr., Ryan Austin smashed the first pitch he saw over the right center field fence to make it a 5-2 lead. 

Bellarmine eventually reclaimed the lead with a run in the second, three runs in the third and a run in the fourth to make it 7-5. However, Kai Holm's third home run of the year was a two-run job to bring us back even at seven runs apiece. 

After that, Jake Lynch took over, retiring the first eight batters he faced, including producing a double play on his first pitch out of the bullpen in the fourth. 

In the sixth, Holm came through again, as his second home run of the contest gave the Bisons the lead for good, 8-7. Later in the frame, after an Austin walk, Keaton Mahan laced a ball down the right field line to score Austin from first base. However, a bad throw by Garrett Rusch saw Mahan scamper down to third. However, the errant throw landed in the Lipscomb dugout and that allowed Mahan to score to extend the lead to 10-7. 

On the mound, Lynch and Collin Bosley-Smith kept the bats at bay for the Knights, as the Bisons picked up their third straight win. 

KEY STATISTICS
Brady Miller led the Bisons with a three-hit game for the second time in the last four games,  with a run scored. 

Kai Holm launched two home runs on the afternoon with three RBI and finished with his first three-hit day of the season.

Ryan Austin added four RBI with his grand slam, while Keaton Mahan drove in two. 

Jake Lynch (1-1) came in in the fourth inning after the Knights tied the game and shut down the offense, tossing five scoreless innings, allowing one hit, and struck out three. 

UP NEXT
With the threat of weather on Sunday, the teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.