By WJBC Staff
NASHVILLE – Lipscomb did most of its damage with two outs as the host Bisons scored 11 of their combined 13 runs with two outs to sweep a doubleheader against the Illinois State baseball team Saturday at Ken Dugan Field.
Game 1:
Lipscomb 10, Illinois State 8
Lipscomb scored nine of its 10 runs with two-outs, including five to break a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning, to earn a win in the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Owen Miller tallied three hits and Jack Landwehr pitched four scoreless innings in relief to lead the charge for Illinois State. The Redbirds mounted a late comeback bid in the top of the ninth, but Lipscomb got out of the jam, stranding the potential game-tying run at first base.
Illinois State scored three runs in the top of the first inning on a two-run double from Ryan Hutchinson and an RBI single from Nick Zouras, but Lipscomb plated four in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a three-run home run from Jake Perry and an RBI single from Von Watson. The Bisons then made it a 5-3 lead in the second inning when Hunter Hanks scored on a wild pitch.
The Redbirds fought back to tie the game at 5-5 by scoring twice in the top of the sixth. Bryce Grimm plated Derek Parola with an RBI groundout to get Illinois State within a run of the Bisons, and Collin Braithwaite scurried home on a wild pitch to tie the game moments later.
But Lipscomb pulled away in the seventh with a two-out rally. Blake Thomas produced the first two runs with a single up the middle before Watson cleared the right-field fence to bring in three more with the Bisons’ second homer of the day.
Illinois State made some noise in the ninth and eventually brought the game-tying run to the plate. Miller, who led off the inning with a double, scored on a Lipscomb error. A hit batsman and back-to-back walks brought in another run to cut the lead to three. Joe Butler then chased Hutchinson home with an RBI fielder’s choice, cutting the lead to two, but Braithwaite grounded out to third to end the game.
John Rave, Zouras and Grimm tallied two hits each for Illinois State.
Redbird starter Matt Walker allowed five runs over the first two innings in his first collegiate start. Landwehr followed with four strong innings, allowing just one hit, two walks and no runs. The Redbirds ran into trouble in the seventh, however, when Jeff Lindgren surrendered five runs with two outs as Lipscomb took the lead for good. Nick Alvarado pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Game 2:
Lipscomb 3, Illinois State 1
Lipscomb was able to scratch out single tallies in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings, respectively, to provide the difference in a pitcher’s duel in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Lipscomb grabbed an early lead with a two-out RBI single from Perry in the fourth inning. The Bisons doubled their lead with another two-out RBI single – this time courtesy of Zeke Dodson – to make it a 2-0 lead in the sixth.
The Redbirds cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the eighth, thanks to a Joe Aeilts sacrifice fly that scored Noah Sadler. The hosts got the run back in the bottom of the inning, however, with an RBI groundout from Cade Sorrells.
No Redbirds reached base more than once as Lipscomb did not issue a walk in the nightcap.
Illinois State starter Brent Headrick was solid, allowing just one run over the first five innings. Mitch Vogrin and Jeffrey Barton allowed one run each in relief appearances.
The Redbirds return to Ken Dugan Field Sunday for the series finale with the Bisons, beginning at 1 p.m.
