NASHVILLE – For the first time in Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division Play, the Lipscomb University Baseball program will need to dig out of an early hole in a three-game series to the University of Central Arkansas, as the Bears took the opening game on Friday night 12-6 from Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium. 

Final Score: Central Arkansas 12, Lipscomb 6
Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium)
Records: Lipscomb (14-16, 7-6), Central Arkansas (17-17, 6-7)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bisons had the bats going in the second, as three straight led off the game with base knocks. Keaton Mahan, who led off the inning with a base knock, scored on a Jordan Thomas RBI double to get the home squad on the board first. 

Following a Hutson Miles sac fly, Brady Miller made it a 3-0 lead with his knock through the left side. 

Central Arkansas responded by cashing in a lead-off walk by Nate Negre in the fourth to make it a 4-1 score, but a four-run fifth made it a 5-3 contest in favor of the Bears. 

Cam Pruitt made it a 5-4 score with a Cam Pruitt RBI knock in the bottom of the fifth, but Mark Ross responded with a 385-foot home run in the top of the sixth to get the run back. 

In the eighth, the Bears took advantage of a two-out Bison error that saw them score five unearned runs to put the game away. In the bottom half, Jordan Thomas made it a five-run deficit with his two-run homer , but it was not enough, as the Bisons dropped their first ASUN Conference series opener of the season. 

KEY STATISTICS
Jordan Thomas launched his team-leading sixth homer of the season, as he finished the night going 2-for-4 with three RBI. 

Brady Miller also had two hits and an RBI, while Aaron Stelogeannis chipped in two hits in five plate appearances. 

UP NEXT
Game two of the series happens on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.