Lipscomb Wins ASUN Baseball Tournament, Headed To NCAA Regionals

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Lipscomb Baseball. Photo: Courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics

Lipscomb University’s baseball team punched their ticket to the NCAA Regionals after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Championship Final, beating Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) 12-6 on Sunday, May 28.

Alex Vergara tied a Championship Final record of three home runs to help the Bisons claim their third league banner and first since 2015. The Bisons started the year 5-13 but continued to battle, finishing 29-11 with a regular season and tournament title, earning their way to Regionals next week.

Lipscomb struck first for a 1-0 lead after one frame. Mason Lundgrin launched his fourth homer of the season to put the Bisons in front early.

They put a three-spot up in the second to continue their hot start, beginning with a bunt single by Parks Bouck, who advanced to second on a throwing error, and then a grounder moved him to third. Will Lee followed with a single up the middle to plate Lipscomb’s second run of the day.

Moments later, Caleb Ketchup connected on his 16th big fly of the season, giving the Bisons a 4-0 lead over the Eagles. Then, Vergara hit his first home run and put Lipscomb in front 5-0, capping off an electric start for the top seed.

FGCU got three runs back, in the top of the third, with a single, walk and a homer by ASUN Player of the Year Edrick Felix. But the bats stayed hot for the Bisons, as they answered with two more runs in the bottom half.

Trace Willhoite started the frame with a double down the left-field line, followed by a single from Austin Kelly to put runners at the corners with no outs. Jake Berg came through with a double to right center to score both the runners on base, increasing the Bisons’ lead to four runs.

Lipscomb tallied another run their next time up as Vergara belted his second-yard ball, and he didn’t stop there. After a sac fly to center field by Lee, which scored Berg from third, Vergara tallied his third bomb of the afternoon with a three-run shot, extending their lead to eight runs.

However, FGCU wasn’t going down without a fight, erupting for three runs in the sixth with two long balls to left field. But the Bisons’ bullpen put on a masterclass, holding the high-powered Eagles offense scoreless in the final three frames to claim the ASUN Tournament title and an auto-bid to the NCAA Regionals next week.

Lipscomb is now set to play Clemson in the Clemson Regional this Friday, June 2 at 12 p.m. CT.

Steven Boero
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