NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb baseball team lost 5-1 to in-town rival Belmont Wednesday afternoon at Ken Dugan Field.
A clear, 77-degree sky and a packed house at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium was the backdrop to a midweek game that was mostly characterized by what might have been for the Bisons.
A strong offensive start for the Bruins saw the visitors from two miles north take a 4-0 lead after three innings of play.
Graduate pitcher Jared Shemper started the game for the Bisons, taking his first loss of the season (0-1). Shemper picked up two strikeouts but gave up two hits and three runs in the first two innings before being relieved.
Connor Witzke, Patrick Williams, Hayden Frank, and closer John Cheatwood all pitched for the Bisons on the afternoon. Williams’ 3 innings was the longest stint for a Bisons pitcher in the game, but Shemper led in pitches thrown with 44.
Leadoff hitter John Shields collected two hits in four at-bats for the Bisons, the only player for the Purple and Gold to get more than one hit.
After senior outfielder Maddox Houghton was hit by a pitch on his first at-bat, sophomore Hayden Skipper replaced him and grabbed an assist on three at-bats.
Jordan Zuger picked up the win for Belmont with a 1.80 ERA, while Grayson Taylor led the Bruins on offense with
After matching Belmont’s hitting numbers but being unable to convert scoring positions into runs all game long, Lipscomb was tasked with making up a 5-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth. An error, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for Lipscomb with just one out, and a balk from pitcher Caleb Guisewite got the Bisons on the board.
From there, though, Shields was unable to keep the Bisons alive, flying out to center field and ending the game.
With the loss, Lipscomb drops to 4-4 on the year after beating MTSU 3-0 Tuesday in Murfreesboro. Belmont claims their ninth straight win and improves to 9-1 as the Bruins continue to make their case for top 25 consideration.
Lipscomb is next in action in a three-game series with Northern Illinois at Dugan Field, starting with a matchup at 4 p.m. Friday.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics