FLORENCE, Ala. – A four-run seventh inning by the Lipscomb University Baseball team helped the Bisons start the series on a strong note with a 6-4 victory over the University of North Alabama on Friday night from Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
Final Score: Lipscomb 6, North Alabama 4
Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium)
Records: Lipscomb (16-18, 9-7), North Alabama (18-19, 10-6)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lipscomb had problems on the base paths early in the game, as a strikeout, caught stealing double play in the first and another out on the base paths in the second kept the Bisons off the scoreboard early.
After a quick inning by
Alexander Llinas in the first inning, he ran into trouble in the second, as the Lions scored their first two runs on a bases loaded walk by Bryant Loving and a Leighton Jenkins sacrifice fly.
Despite the hiccup in the second, Llinas got back on the horse, facing the minimum the rest of his outing. Retiring five straight batters, a lead-off single by Will Millard in the bottom of the fourth ended the streak. However, after a flyout by Wes Walker, Justin Santoyo grounded into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
After the double play on defense, the Bisons saw the momentum shift to their dugout and their bats. Despite a double play turned by the Lions defense, a
Hutson Miles walk and stolen base,
Alejandro Ludeiro made it a 2-2 ballgame with an RBI base hit to center field to score
Kai Holm and Miles.
From there, Llinas retired the final six batters he faced in order to move the contest into the seventh.
With the bases loaded,
Brady Miller gave the Bisons the lead with a two-run base knock to center field to break the 2-2 tie.
Two pitches later,
Jordan Thomas kept the line moving with a base knock back up the middle to make it a 6-2 score for the visitors.
UNA did get one back in the seventh and eighth to make it 6-4, but with the bases loaded and one out, Wes Walker grounded into a 1-6-3 double play off of
Kaleb Kantola to get out of the jam.
In the ninth, the Lions again had the bases loaded and with one out, but Kantola decided to take care of business himself, striking out Petey Craska and Dylan Coleman to secure the series-opening victory on the road.
KEY STATISTICS
Alejandro Ludeiro had the two-run single in the fifth, as he finished 2-for-3 on the night with two RBI.
Brady Miller and
Jordan Thomas each had two-run knocks in back-to-back at bats in the seventh inning.
Alexander Llinas (2-3) punched out six batters, as he scattered two hits and one earned run through six innings to earn the quality start win.
Kaleb Kantola pitched the final 1.2 innings with two strikeouts to earn his fifth save of the season.
UP NEXT
Game two of the series takes place on Saturday from Florence. Due to the threat of severe weather, the contest, originally slated for 2:30 p.m., has been moved up to an 11:30 a.m. first pitch.
