Mercer University
Lipscomb
Baseball Edged 4-2 in Series Opener at Lipscomb
4/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Senior Brandon Barker threw seven complete innings and struck out six, but his performance wasn't enough to stop Lipscomb from claiming a 4-2 win in Friday night's Atlantic Sun baseball game at Ken Dugan Field.
Mercer (27-9, 10-3 A-Sun) dropped consecutive games for just the fourth time this season and saw a five-game league winning streak snapped in the process. The Bisons improved to 23-12, 11-2 A-Sun while capturing their fifth-straight victory.
The Bears got off to a quick start as senior Sasha LaGarde raked a leadoff homer to right center in the top of the first, and the 1-0 lead would hold steady until the third inning when the Bisons plated two runs via a wild pitch and an RBI single by senior Drew Adams.
Lipscomb tacked on scores in the fourth and sixth innings and led 4-1 before the Bears got something going offensively in the eighth.
Senior Michael Massi walked and junior Chesny Young stroked a single through the right side to put two on with one out. Later Massi advanced to third on a wild pitch and senior Derrick Workman drew a walk to load the bags.
Freshman Nathaniel Lowe walked to trim the Bears' deficit to two, but junior Devin Bonin grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.
Mercer made one last attempt at the rally in the ninth, as freshman Danny Edgeworth lifted a pinch-hit single to right field. Lispcomb junior lefthander Jason Ziegler entered the game and got the next two batters to secure the win.
The Lispcomb victory vaulted the Bisons into first place in the league standings, just one game ahead of Mercer in the race for the A-Sun regular season title. The two teams continue the series tomorrow, with first pitch of game two scheduled for 3 p.m.
