FLORENCE, Ala. (April 18, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team had a historic afternoon on Friday, securing the first win at the newly-opened Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium with a 4-2 win over Bellarmine.
The Friday game saw freshman Tripp Patterson go the distance for the win and senior Jonathan Lane earn his 200th career hit — the first player in UNA's Division I history to do so.
Lane also joins UNA Hall of Famers James Barksdale, Douglas Hargett and Josh Willingham, as well as 2018 graduate Kyle Hubbach, as the fifth player at UNA to record 200 career hits all-time. He is now five hits away from tying Willingham, perhaps the most-decorated player in school history, at 205.
The Lions (14-22, 9-8 ASUN) had nine hits on the day while lead-off batter Alex Wilson went 3-for-4 with a run. North Alabama hit .310 today and .300 with two outs. UNA bested Bellarmine in every major hitting statistic in game two.
Bellarmine (10-28, 6-11 ASUN) hit .359 in game one but only amassed four hits in 30 chances in the second game. However, Landon Akers did secure the first home run from any player inside the new stadium.
The Lions bats bounced back in the second game as Wilson, Wes Walker and Leighton Jenkins all secured two or more hits. Jenkins added two RBIs to his total.
Lane, Jenkins, Wilson and Ryker Billingsley all plated a run in the win.
North Alabama needed one arm in this game as Tripp Patterson earned his third win on the season. The left-hander went the full nine innings with seven strikeouts, tying his season high while allowing only four hits for the Knights who had 14 in game one.
The freshman held the Knights to a .133 batting average for the afternoon, marking the third worst batting average for Bellarmine on the season. The four hits were the fourth lowest as well.
Patterson's complete game matches Brycen Parrish's nine inning complete game against Lipscomb in innings pitched for this season; both Lion wins.
Bellarmine struck early in this one with a home run in the first inning in the opening at-bat. However, Patterson only needed seven pitches to get out of the top of the first.
The Knights got a second run from the top of the third after a pair of singles put runners on corners and a sacrifice fly plated one.
A stolen base from Wilson in the bottom of the third put a runner in scoring position. Matthew Delgado and Wes Walker walked to load the bases. The final batter struck out to let the Knights escape.
Patterson struck out two batters in back-to-back at-bats for Bellarmine to earn his third and fourth strikeouts of the afternoon. He kept it going into the fourth, pitching another scoreless inning.
The bottom of the fourth was historic for North Alabama. Lane got the lead off at-bat, where he singled for his 200th career hit up the middle. Billingsley was hit by a pitch to get a second runner on.
Loving placed a bunt down that he nearly beat out, instead he moved the runners around. Jenkins notched two RBIs as he singled to score Lane and Billingsley.
Patterson kept up his hot pitching as he threw two more strikeouts to keep Bellarmine scoreless since the third inning.
Jenkins singled in the bottom of the seventh to open things up. Wilson hit a hot one to left center that bounced off the wall for a double to have two runners In scoring position. Craska singled to get the go-ahead run and place runners on the corners.
Delgado chopped it to first that was turned for the double play but provided enough time to allow Wilson to score. The Lions grabbed the lead for the first time, 4-2.
Patterson went three-up and three-down to retire the eighth inning. The freshman went to the top of the ninth with the lead and struck out the first Knight swinging.
The lefty walked one before the next batter hit to Craska at first. The redshirt-freshman laid out for the ball and then touched his own bag for the second out. Patterson put the final batter on the ropes in a 1-2 count before he flew him out to Wilson in right field.
Patterson earned the first ever win in Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium and threw the first ever complete game to even the series.
Pitchers of Record
W – Tripp Patterson (3-4)
L – Mike Sokol (1-2)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama plays the series finale tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
