The baseball team improved to 9-3 in conference play this past week, beating Lipscomb 5-1 and 8-6 after dropping one game to the Bisons 6-5.
Looking to bounce back after their 17-7 loss at Georgia Tech earlier in the week, the Owls were taken down 6-5 in the first game of their home series against Lipscomb on April 20.
Senior AJ Moore started on the mound for the Owls, putting in his longest start of the season at just over seven innings. He gave up two hits in the first four innings before yielding three runs in the fifth inning.
Griffin Helms led the way offensively for the Owls, knocking in two RBIs, while the first three hitters in the batting order had one RBI each.
The fifth inning runs for Lipscomb pushed its lead to 4-1 on a three-run single, but its lead diminished steadily from there. Tyler Simon hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the bases were loaded in the bottom of the seventh when Helms hit a two-RBI single to center field to tie the score 4-4.
KSU nearly grabbed the lead during the later innings when Ladonis Bryant stole home plate, but the call was reversed and the game remained tied.
The Bisons’ eventual game-winning run came from an RBI-bunt single by Tevin Symonette.
In Saturday’s doubleheader, the Owls took both games, winning the first one 5-1.
Brooks Buckler started on the mound, earning his third win in a six-inning effort. Bryant had three hits and two runs on the day, leading the Owls in an overall improved performance from the previous two games.
The game was tied at one run each until the sixth inning when the Owls broke out for four runs through three RBI hits and a wild pitch.
In the second game, the Bisons took the early lead before the Owls rallied to win in a dramatic final two innings. Terence Norman and AJ Willoughby led all Owls hitters with three RBIs each, and both knocked out home runs.
The Owls trailed until the seventh inning when Norman’s three-run home run gave the Owls a 5-3 lead. Lipscomb countered with a two-run double in the next inning to tie the game, but Willoughby’s home run sealed the game, bringing in three runs.
Up next, the baseball team travels to South Carolina to play Clemson on Tuesday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m.
