CONWAY, Ark. – Posting a season-high 20 hits, the Lipscomb University Baseball team will play for the Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division Title on Saturday after dismantling the University of Central Arkansas 16-5 on Friday night from Bear Stadium.
With Friday's win, the Bisons can secure the Gold Division with a win over the Bears on Saturday.
Final Score: Lipscomb 16, Central Arkansas 5
Location: Conway, Arkansas (Bear Stadium)
Records: Lipscomb (25-24, 18-11), Central Arkansas (30-24, 17-12)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game began with Lipscomb setting an early tone, scoring four runs in the first inning.
Hutson Miles led off the game with a single to left field, and
Cam Pruitt doubled to right center, bringing Miles home.
Jordan Thomas followed with a single to the left side, scoring Pruitt. Later in the inning,
Blake Carter smashed a two-run home run, his fourth of the season, bringing in Thomas and extending the lead. Central Arkansas responded with a solo home run by Nate Negre, making it 4-1 after the first inning.
In the second inning, UCA closed the gap with a two-run home run by Casey Shipley, to make it a 4-3 score. The Bisons added another run in the third when Thomas doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by
Kai Holm, pushing the score to 5-3.
In the fourth, the Bears attempted to close the gap, but on a Zane Denton base hit,
Aaron Stelogeannis threw a strike to
Alejandro Ludeiro at the plate to nab Mark Ross at the plate to keep the advantage to the Bisons.
The fifth inning saw Lipscomb widen its lead with a lead-off solo home run from Stelogeannis, his third of the year, after making the play on defense to end the inning. Pruitt doubled and scored on a single by Holm, while
Damion Kenealy Jr. added another RBI single, bringing the score to 8-3.
The Bisons maintained their momentum in the seventh inning, starting with a single by Pruitt, who scored on a single by Holm. Kenealy Jr. grounded out to bring Thomas home, and
Cole Pippenger, who recorded his first career four-hit game, hit a two-run home run, furthering the lead to 12-3.
UCA added two runs in the eighth, but Lipscomb responded again in the ninth. After a walk by Holm and a double from Carter, Kenealy Jr. singled to score Holm.
Eric Harper pinch-ran and scored on a single from
Brock Beddingfield, who drove in two runs. Pippenger also scored on a single by Pruitt, concluding the game with a final score of 16-5 in favor of the Bisons.
HERD NOTES
Lipscomb's 20 hits are the most in a game this season and the first 20-hit game since last season against Bellarmine in March 2025.
Eight of the nine starters in the lineup all had a hit in the win.
KEY STATISTICS
The three through eight spots in the lineup all had multi-hit games and went a combined 17-for-29. Led by
Cole Pippenger's first four-hit game of his collegiate career, he drove in two runs.
Cam Pruitt also produced a four-hit game for the second time this season with two doubles and three runs scored.
Kai Holm and
Damion Kenealy Jr. also had three RBI each in the win.
UP NEXT
The Bisons will play for all the marbles on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale. A win, and the Bisons win the Gold Division. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
