NASHVILLE—Lipscomb scored 11 runs in each end of its Atlantic Sun Conference baseball doubleheader sweep of visiting NJIT, but aside from the fact that the Bisons won both games, the script was entirely different between the opening game and the nightcap.
 
The Bisons cruised to an 11-2 win in the opener, but the second game wasn't settled until the bottom of the 10th inning, when Lipscomb dealt the Highlanders their third walk-off defeat in their last four Atlantic Sun games.
 
The results in the doubleheader that was played on Friday due to a combination of rain forecast for Nashville on Saturday and the fact that NJIT has a return flight to Newark booked for the afternoon on Sunday, leave Lipscomb at 22-21 overall and 6-5 in the A-Sun. NJIT, which was 4-2 in non-conference games since it last played a conference contest on April 17, drops to 16-25 overall and 2-8 in the A-Sun.
 
The series was originally scheduled to be played as single games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But with two games in the books from Friday, they will have two days to get in the third game of the series. Game Three is currently on tap for Saturday at 2 pm (CDT) and will be aired on ESPN3.
 
Game One
Lipscomb pounded out 16 hits, including two doubles and two home runs, and the Bisons scored at least once in every inning but the first and the sixth for a comfortable 11-2 victory in the opener.
 
To go with their impressive hitting, the Bisons got an overpowering starting performance from Brady Puckett (7-2), who held NJIT to one run, while striking out 10 and walking two in seven full innings.
 
Both Lipscomb home runs came off the bat of SS Hunter Hanks (3-for-5, 4 RBI), who doubled his season's home run total with a two-out solo shot in the seventh inning and a two-run blast an inning later.
 
The Bison doubles were both hit by one man, as well, as RF Allan Hooker (3-for-4) hit his 12th and 13th two-baggers of the season.
 
Two other Lipscomb batters finished the game with three hits apiece. They were: 1B Adam Lee (3-for-4, RBI) and LF Von Watson (3-for-4, 2 RBI). CF Trevon Symonette added a 2-for-4 game with two runs batted in.
 
The starter and losing pitcher for the Highlanders was sophomore RHP Sean Lubreski (4-6) who gave up 11 hits and a personal season-high 7 runs in five innings.
 
Lubreski struggled uncharacteristically with his control. The sophomore came into the game with just 18 walks in 58.2 innings, but he walked a season-worst four in his five innings Friday.
 
Fellow sophomore right-hander Andres Fernandez put up a scoreless inning when he entered for NJIT in the sixth inning, but he finished allowing three runs in 2.1 innings. A third sophomore, left-hander Justin Chin allowed a home run to his first batter (Hanks) and his final line showed one run in two-thirds of an inning.
 
NJIT had six hits, all hit by different players. Five of the Highlander hits were singles, with a double from 2B Johnny Malatesta. LF Evan Pietronico and backup catcher Edgar Badaraco each had runs batted in.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Lipscomb scored three second-inning runs on five hits and seized control. The Bisons added a run in the third inning and two more in the fourth. After the scoreless sixth inning, Lipscomb tacked on one run in the seventh frame and three more in the eighth.
 
NJIT scored a run in the seventh inning on Pietronico's RBI single and another run on a sacrifice fly by Badaraco in the eighth inning. The Highlanders left the bases loaded in the seventh inning and stranded two more in the ninth, but it was mostly window dressing with Lipscomb leading by seven runs after six innings.
 
Game Two
Unlike the opening game, in which Lipscomb put the score farther and farther from NJIT's reach from the second inning on, it was the Highlanders who took the lead and kept putting pressure on the Bisons to keep up.
 
The Highlanders never trailed in any of the first nine innings and they led 10-6 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before Lipscomb rallied for four runs and a 10-10 tie that sent the game to extra innings.
 
Undaunted by the home team's stunning two-out comeback to keep the game going, the Highlanders scored a run in the top of the 10th inning to go back ahead, 11-10.
 
But the bullpen implosion from the ninth inning carried over into the 10th and the Bisons used three hits and an intentional walk to produce the two runs they needed for a walk-off victory. The only out NJIT got in the final frame was handed to the Highlanders on a sacrifice bunt.
 
Jaesung Hwang (1-1), the fourth pitcher in the game for Lipscomb, got the win despite allowing the Highlanders to go ahead with a run in the top of the 10th inning, but benefitting when his teammates rallied for two runs and the win in the bottom half.
 
The loss went to NJIT's third pitcher, left-hander Brian Sondergard (0-1). The redshirt sophomore, who hadn't allowed an earned run in his previous six appearances, came in with a 1.23 earned run average in eight games.
He entered with two out in the ninth inning and a runner on base with the game tied at 10-10. Sondergard issued an intentional walk to his first batter, but then got a ground out to strand two base runners and keep the game going.
 
However, he allowed a single to lead off the 10th, followed by a bunt single down the first base line. After the sacrifice bunt put the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Sondergard issued another intentional walk, setting up potential force plays at every base and making a ground ball double play possible.
 
However, Lipscomb 2B Lee Solomon, taking his seventh at-bat of the game, delivered his third hit, a single through the left side that ended the game with two runs for the Bisons.
 
Friday's second game featured lots of hitting by both teams, with Lipscomb coming away with 22 hits and 12 runs. The Bisons hit three doubles and 19 singles and also drew five walks (four in four innings from the NJIT bullpen), plus a hit-by-pitch.
 
NJIT finished with 16 hits, including three doubles and two triples. The Highlanders drew three walks and were hit by one pitch.
 
Eleven different Lipscomb batters got hits, topped by 5-for-5, with four runs batted in for 3B Zeke Dodson. His two-run two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning brought in the ninth and 10th runs of the game for Lipscomb.
 
Solomon, 1B Adam Lee, and DH Tyler Bethune all collected three hits each for the winners, with Solomon, Lee, and Symonette (1-for-5) all driving in two runs.
 
For NJIT, CF Jesse Uttendorfer (triple), 1B Bryan Haberstroh, and Malatesta (triple) all got three hits each in Game Two. Malatesta drove in four runs and Haberstroh knocked home three.
 
DH Stephan Halibej (double), and 3B Tom Brady (double) each got two hits. Pietronico had one hit, but it was his 17th double of the season.
 
Lipscomb used four pitchers in getting the win and only the third one, Alex Dorso, was effective, allowing a hit and no runs in 2.2 innings from the sixth through the eighth.
 
NJIT used three pitchers. Senior LHP Ian Bentley allowed three runs in the opening inning, but settle down to allow just a single run over the next four innings. He allowed a pair of singles and got one out in the sixth before exiting with 125 pitches thrown.
 
Tommy Derer allowed both inherited runners to score, but he, too, settled down and kept Lipscomb off the board until there were two out in the ninth inning. Lee hit a two-run single to draw the Bisons to within two runs, 10-8.
 
Then Dodson singled to tie the score, turning Derer's night from two runs allowed in 3.1 innings and a save into four runs allowed and a blown save.
 
Bentley and Derer combined for 13 strikeouts in 8.2 innings.
 
NJIT had scored three runs in the first inning, two in the third, three in the fifth and one each in the sixth and seventh to build its lead.
 
Lipscomb scored three in the bottom of the first inning, one in the fourth, and two in the sixth, before pulling out the win with four runs in the ninth inning and two in the 10th.