Less than 24 hours before the first pitch was scheduled to be thrown, Lipscomb and No. 19 Michigan decided to change things up.
Due to the winter storm scheduled to come into town Saturday, both coaches agreed it would be better to play a double-header Friday than worry about the weather on Saturday.
The first game was all Michigan as it went on to earn an 8-2 victory over the Bisons.
It was a pitcher’s duel between Lipscomb’s star junior Brady Puckett, and Michigan’s hard-throwing lefty, Oliver Jaskie. The two starters combined for 18 strikeouts.
With Michigan hitting a 2-run home run in the 7th and a 3-run home run in the 9th, it was just to much for Lipscomb to keep up with.
The second game was a much tighter battle between the two teams.
With Michigan loading the bases with no one out in the top of the first inning, it looked like Michigan was picking up right where it left off. Junior pitcher Jeffery Passantino was going to make sure he gave his team a chance.
With the bases loaded he struck out the next batter, and then caused the next hitter to ground into a double play keeping the game scoreless.
“Both Puckett and Passantino are fighters,” Head Coach Jeff Forehand said. “They are going to put us in a position to win every game that they pitch in. We’ve just got swing the bat a little better, so we can help them out a little bit more.”
The Bisons were in a good position to win the second game as they led the Wolverines 3-1 in the top of the 9th following a home run by sophomore Tevin Symonette in the bottom of the 8th, but they couldn’t hold on.
Michigan scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th to take a 4-3 lead, and Lipscomb wasn’t able to answer.
“They are the 19th ranked team for a reason,” Forehand said. “They are a good team. We get the chance to bounce back on Sunday and get this bad taste out of our mouth.”
Lipscomb looks to avoid getting swept by Michigan Sunday afternoon with the game scheduled to start at 1 p.m. The game can be streamed online through ESPN3.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics