In an intense duel, Lipscomb kept its six-game win streak intact after a close 4-3 win over Evansville Saturday afternoon at Ken Dugan field.
After a 4-1 win over the Purple Aces Friday night, the Bisons came back with junior Jeffrey Passantino as starting pitcher and senior Denton Norman coming in relief in the top of the ninth. Passantino tied his career-high in strikeouts with 10.
“I made one bad pitch all day, in the eighth inning,” Passantino said. “I had to pitch out of some jams right there. They were bunting and got some cheap hits, so we really had to bear down and focus after I gave up that first run, but we brought good intensity today.”
Evansville started off the top of the second inning with a quick single to drive in the first run of the game, but the Bisons managed to get out of the inning with only one run allowed. Lipscomb came right back and gained its first run of the game in the second inning as well to tie it up.
“I really think Jeffrey pitched so well, and their guy pitched well too, but the turning point, I think, was when we came back and got a run after they scored in the second,” head coach Jeff Forehand said.
Junior Michael Gigliotti kept the momentum going, smashing a double in the third and immediately advancing to third base on a fielding error. Sophomore Cade Sorrells then shot a hard single, bringing in Gigliotti for the Bisons’ second run. In the bottom of the sixth with bases loaded and two outs, sophomore Von Watson walked which brought home junior Blake Thomas from third, making the score 3-1.
However, Evansville’s Travis Tokarek crushed a homer to right field in the eighth to tie the game 3-3. In the bottom of the ninth, Evansville intentionally walked two in a row, loading the bases. Sophomore Zeke Dodson then walked, bringing in the winning run to make the final score 4-3.
“We just knew we were going to win,” Passantino said. “We were in control of that whole ballgame. I made one bad pitch, and all the momentum was on our side, so I don’t think there was a doubt in anybody’s mind that we weren’t going to win.”
The Bisons return to Ken Dugan field Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to face Evansville for the third time and see if they can get their second-straight series sweep.
“More of the same tomorrow,” Forehand said. “You come out every game trying to execute, and you try to win that game. It’s fun when you get a streak going, so hopefully we can just continue that.”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics