The Bisons finished the three game sweep against the Redbirds of Illinois State on Saturday at Ken Dugan Field.
GAME ONE
Lipscomb took control of the Diamond during game one, defeating ISU by a score of 8-1.
The Bisons got off to a fast start in game 1. In the bottom of the first Tyler and Lee Wilson both hit singles to get on base and Andrew Nickerson was able to bring them home with a deep shot that one hopped off the left field fence.
credit: Hailey Waldron
The game stayed at 2-0 until the top of the third when the Redbirds scored what would be their only run of the game when Kevin Tokarski took the first pitch from Lipscomb’s Davey Hackett to deep left field for a solo home run.
This would be Hackett’s only blemish of the game. While Hackett did give up five hits and walked four he limited the Redbirds to only 1 run.
After five scoreless innings from ISU’s Ryan Copeland the Bison’s caught fire in the bottom of the seventh when Shawn Mehring hit a triple to deep center field. He then scored on an errant pitch by Copeland. Brett Teschner was then walked, followed by an M.L. Williams double on a grounder that snuck in between the third baseman and the shortstop. Tyler Wilson then followed with a double that scored both Teschner and Williams to put the Bison’s on top 5-1.
Chad Fromm would come into the game in the eighth inning in relief for Hackett. Fromm finished the game for the Bisons after pitching two scoreless innings.
Lipscomb added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth, Cory Hale started the Bison’s off with a solo home run to left field. Ryan Wilkins and Matt Brewer also scored later in the inning.
The Bison’s took advantage of their nine hits with eight runs to win the game 8-1.
GAME TWO
The Bisons also took game two of the afternoon. Lipscomb battled with ISU for 10 innings, winning 9-8.
In game two the Bison’s once again came out swinging. Zach Messer’s single down the left field line brought Lee Wilson home. Ryan Wilkins then doubled to score Messer and Cory Hale to close out the first with the Bison’s ahead 3-0.
The Bison’s added another run in the bottom of the second to take a 4-0 lead
In the top of the third freshman pitcher Chris Nunn gave up and single to ISU’s Zach Amrein followed by another Redbird that was put on base by a hit pitch. Matt Mirabal then doubled to left field to bring both runners home to put the game a 4-2.
In the bottom of the third the Bison’s stormed right back to score three runs which were sparked by a slide into first by Tyler Wilson to keep a two out inning alive. Lee Wilson followed with a triple that emptied the bases and increased the lead to 7-2.
However, the Redbirds would not back down. They would score three more runs off Nunn in the fourth inning, and another run off junior Mike Grace, who replaced Nunn, to put the game within one. (7-6)
After a scoreless fifth inning for both teams, Kevin Tokarski drove a single down the right field line in the top of the sixth. Two batters later Anthony Ruffolo’s hit brought Tokarski home to deadlock the game at 7-7.
In the top of the seventh Lipscomb’s replacement pitcher Josh Cotham walked ISU’s Matt Mirable to bring home Zach Amrein and give the Redbirds their first lead of the game. (7-8)
The Bison’s stormed right back in the bottom of the seventh when Ryan Wilkins crossed the plate to tie the game at 8-8.
In the ninth inning both teams left runners on base and couldn’t capitalize.
However, in the bottom of the tenth inning with two outs Cory Hale got things going for the Bison’s with a single past the third baseman. He then was able to advance off an errant pitch by ISU’s Kenny Long. Messer then hit a walk off double to bring Hale home and end the game with the Bison’s winning 9-8.