NASHVILLE – Tied at six going into the final three innings, the Lipscomb University Baseball team scored five runs in the last two frames to defeat the University of Dayton, 11-6, to open the 2026 season from Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium. 

Final Score: Lipscomb 11, Dayton 6
Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium)
Records: Lipscomb (1-0), Dayton (0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a quick inning for Alexander Llinas on the mound to start the game, Lipscomb took advantage of a couple of Dayton errors to get back-to-back runners on base. Cam Pruitt put the Bisons on the board with a two-run single. 

In the second, Alejandro Ludeiro launched a 370-foot missile over the left field fence for a solo shot to add to Bison lead, 3-0. 

After the Flyers got to see Llinas's pitch selections the first time around in the batting order, the bats came to life. On the first pitch of the fourth, Tommy Ahlers sent a 353-foot shot to right to put Dayton on the board, 3-1. 

Dayton made it 3-2 after a Bobby Stang sac fly, but Collin Lynch gave the Flyers the 5-3 lead with his home run to center field that came off the bat at 110 miles per hour. 

Lipscomb did get a run back in the bottom of the fourth with a Ludeiro sac fly. 

In the fifth, things got interesting for the Bisons on the base paths. With runners on the corners, Aaron Stelgeannis at first and Pruitt on third, he took off during Blake Carter's at-bat for the steal of home plate to even the game at five runs each. 

However, the tie did not last long, as Lynch gave the Flyers the lead right back with an RBI single.

The Bisons got the offense going again in the seventh. With ducks on the pond, Kai Holm delivered the go-ahead hit on a base hit to left field. After a stolen base and a pitching change, Ludeiro recorded his third RBI of the, as Cole Pippenger scored to make it an 8-6 lead. 

Lipscomb wanted to preserve the lead going into the eighth, so they looked to Kaleb Kantola. After Danny MacDougall led off the inning with a free pass, Kantola quickly got out of it with a double play by Dryenson Wouters that put up a zero on the board. 

The Bisons added some insurance runs in the bottom half with a Pruitt RBI single and a Keaton Mahan RBI knock off the bench to earn the Opening Day win, 11-6. 

KEY STATISTICS
Aaron Stelogeannis went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Cam Pruitt added two hits and three RBI. 

Alejandro Ludeiro totaled three RBI in the game. 

After Alexander Llinas could not complete the fourth inning, the Lipscomb bullpen slammed the door with 5.1 innings of one unearned run ball with six strikeouts. Mack Mabrey (1-0) secured the win finishing out the seventh inning, while Kaleb Kantola pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save. 

UP NEXT
Game two of the series will happen on Saturday. Due to the impending inclement weather, the first pitch has been moved up to noon.