NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 30, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team fell to Lipscomb in the 10th inning on Sunday, 5-4. This is the fourth game that was decided by a walk-off for the Lions; they are now 2-2 in those situations with the two losses coming on the road. All four were in conference play. 

Left fielder Nash Rippen's fourth home run of the season becomes the first grand slam of the season for the Lions. 

This is the first three game series of the season that the Lions have hit at least one home run in each game. The Central Arkansas series saw three home runs, but two came in game one with the final coming in game two. 

The Lions (8-17, 5-4 ASUN) got their first win in Nashville since 2021 after the 1-0 complete game shutout from right-handed pitcher Brycen Parrish on Friday night. 

Lipscomb (11-15, 5-4 ASUN) continued their hot hitting streak from a day ago. The Bisons hit over .300 with two outs, runners on and for lead off batters. Thy also notched three two-out RBIs on the afternoon.

North Alabama threw five pitchers for the 10-inning game today. 

Anthony Pingeton got his sixth consecutive Sunday start and went 3.2 innings with 19 batters faced securing three strikeouts. Freshman Reese Young went an inning and earned a strikeout. Freshman Luke Davenport went 3.1 innings with three strikeouts with 35 strikes on 57 pitches.

John Allen Stogner went for an out before senior Kyle Lewis finished out the game to the bottom of the 10th. 

Ryker Billingsley and Jonathan Lane both earned two hits on the afternoon. Matthew Delgado, Petey Craska, Billingsley and Rippen all touched home for a run. 

Craska went five-for-eight over the three games with five walks. This is his fifth straight game of hitting over .300. 

This game started with a bang, literally. Billingsley walked to open, and Delgado reached as the Bisons pitcher made a throwing error to second. Craska walked next at-bat which put Rippen unto hit the first grand slam of the year for a 4-0 lead. 

Pingeton started both the first and second inning with a strikeout. In the third inning is when Lipscomb got going. The first batter walked, the next doubled before a grounder to second scored the first run. 

Third baseman Bryant Loving got a hopper to third and decided to get the runner out at home. A missed pick-off, walk and hit batter loaded the bases. Another hit batter scored the second run to cut it, 4-2. 

North Alabama got a single to the middle infield that ran the second and shortstop positions into each other. RJ Sherwood lined down the left field line past the third baseman for a single. A wild pitch and a Leighton Jenkins walk, loaded the bags. A pitching change and two strikeouts ended the inning. 

Pingeton earned his third strikeout in the bottom of the fourth. Jenkins tracked down a high fly pop-out all the way from his shifted position over second to no man's land in shallow left field. Lipscomb scored one off of a line drive just out of Lane's reach. Another line drive scored another Bisons for the tie. 

After this it was pitching, defense and gamesmanship between the two programs. Over the final five innings of regulation the Lions out hit Lipscomb three to two. 

Head Coach Jad Prachniak went to the bullpen twice in the ninth inning to stall out the Bisons. Three pitchers combined for the inning between Davenport, Stogner and Lewis. At one point, the bases loaded which Lewis was able to work out of. 

Prachniak brought Billingsley in from center field as a fifth infielder to thwart an easy hit. After a Lewis strikeout, Billingsley went back to his natural position with two outs where he caught the final out to head to extra innings. 

In the top of the 10th, Lane got on base by a walk and stole second. However, the Lions could not get anything to materialize.

An opening double from Lipscomb put a runner in scoring position. The next bunted to Loving at third for the out but got the runner at third. Prachniak decided to walk the next two to load the bases. He then brought Billingsley back in as the fifth infielder again. This time Lipscomb put it in the man less center field to win the game. 

Pitchers of Record
W – Brock Puckett (2-1)
L –  Kyle Lewis (0-1)
S – N/A
 

COMING UP NEXT
The Lions head to Murray, Ky. to play Murray State on Tuesday, April 1. This game was originally meant for Florence, Ala. but was changed as construction is ongoing for Mike D. Lane Field.
 

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