March 15, 2009

Final Stats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Lipscomb used four big innings to get past the USC Upstate baseball team in an Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, posting a 13-3 win in the first game before wrapping the day up with a 7-2 win. Junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) led the Spartans with three hits in the doubleheader, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, just one game shy of the DI-era record set by Andrew Runion in 2008.

A three-run fifth and four-run eighth inning helped Lipscomb (8-8 overall, 5-1 A-Sun) get past Upstate (5-10 overall, 1-5 A-Sun) in the nightcap, spoiling a quality start from freshman Ryan Fern (Oviedo, Fla./Winter Springs), who tossed six innings and struck out a career-high six while allowing just four hits and three runs.

The Spartans got on the scoreboard in the third inning, as a single from freshman Branden Millhouse (Summerville, S.C./Summerville) with one out started the rally. Senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) followed with a single to center and a outfield error moved runners to second and third. A groundout scored Millhouse and Guillen cem in on a single to right center from Tanner.

The Bisons broke through to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Antonio Butler and Tyler Wilson each had RBI singles in the inning, with Wilson's driving in two runs with runners on second and third and two outs. Four more runs scored on six hits in the eighth inning, which was capped by a two-RBI single from Branden CaDavid.

Josh Smith (2-0) earned the win for the Bisons, tossing seven innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run. He walked two and struck out five before yielding to Kyle Tognazzini, who earned his fourth save with two innings of scoreless relief, allowing a hit and striking out three. Fern took the loss for Upstate, falling to 1-2.

Four Bisons finished with two hits, led by Tyler Wilson's and CaDavid's two hits and two RBI a piece. Tennyson Dodd and Jay Moreland also had two hits. The Spartans managed just five hits in the game with Tanner pacing the team with a hit and RBI.

A six-run first inning and a five-run sixth inning helped left the Bisons to a 13-3, seven-inning mercy rule win in the first game of the doubleheader.

The Bisons took a 6-0 lead in the first inning, taking advantage of five hits, a walk and a hit batter to score the runs. Allen Bolden had a two-RBI single through the right side to lead the Bisons.

The Spartans got one of the runs back in the third inning, as sophomore Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) doubled down the left field line and both junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) and senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) hit seeing-eye singles through the left side to bring in Green.

The Bisons got two runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-run homer from Antonio Butler, helping them take an 8-1. The Spartans got two runs back in the fourth inning thanks to a two-out bunt single from senior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes), which ignited the rally. Senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) singled up the middle and both runners came around to score on an outfield error on a ball hit into the right-center field gap by Green.

The Bisons took control of the game, though, with five runs on two hits, taking advantage of three walks in the bottom of the sixth to take a 13-3 lead, setting up the mercy-rule win.

Five Lipscomb players had two hits, as M.L. Williams, Tyler Wilson and Logan Hostetler each also added two runs with their hits. Allen Bolden had two hits, a double and four RBIs and Butler posted two hits, a homer and three RBI.

Tanner led the Spartans with two of the team's six hits, against Brandon McClurg (2-1), who earned the complete-game win with seven innings of three-run baseball. He struck out three and allowed just one earned run.

Freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) (1-3) took the loss for Upstate, allowing six runs and four hits in 1/3 inning.

The Spartans get back in action at Harley Park on Tuesday when they face defending Atlantic 10 Champions, Charlotte, at 6 p.m.