NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 15, 2026) – The University of North Alabama baseball team secured its first road win of the season on Sunday with a 13-7 blistering of Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn.
This is the first road win of the season for North Alabama through eight games, four of those coming from Ole Miss and Southern Miss.
A member of the sophomore trio, left-handed pitcher Reese Young, made his season debut. In his first start of 2026, he threw three innings with three strikeouts and allowed three hits with a run.
North Alabama (8-12, 1-2 ASUN) salvage the final game of the series thanks to nine runs in the first two innings. The two inning total tallied more runs than 17 full-length games from the Lions this season. This is the second most runs scored in a game behind the bashing of Murray State on Feb. 18, 15-5.
Petey Craska had his best game to date of the season as he hit 4-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBIs and a triple. Nash Rippen added two runs and two RBIs with two walks to continue his reaching safely streak which extends to 17.
Today's win owns the most at-bats in a game, most walks, second most runs, second most hits and third most RBIs as a team. Leighton Jenkins tied the Division I record for most at-bats in a single game.
The Lions are now 5-1 when securing 10 or more hits in a game — the only loss coming against Lipscomb on March 14.
Lipscomb (8-10, 2-1 ASUN) was led by Jordan Thomas who had two home runs which helped lead to a four score fifth inning. Sawyer Toney and Landon Scruggs kept the Bisons scoreless in the final four innings.
North Alabama threw four pitchers today with Young earning the start. After the sophomore followed John Allen Stogner who has started the last four Sunday slates; he threw three strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.
Toney went 3.1 innings with five punch outs with three hits and no runs allowed. His innings worked is the most this season with the recent high coming against Southern Indiana with 1.2 on March 1. Scruggs closed the final frame with a strikeout while facing four batters.
Craska and Jackson Westmoreland were the lone batters with two or more hits for the afternoon.
All but two starting lineup batters notched a hit with Rippen, Will Millard, Wes Walker, Bryant Loving and Leighton Jenkins helping create the 11 total.
Aside from Craska's three runs, Westmoreland had three himself with Rippen earning the next most with two. Dylan Coleman, Millard, Walker, Loving and Jenkins had one as well.
Walker led the team with four RBIs after his base-clearing double; he and Millard led the team with three walks each.
Seven hits came from the lead-off man in only nine opportunities for a whopping .778 average.
With the 1 p.m. game time approaching as the wind moved in, it seemed as if the Lions held all of their runs for the Sunday contest in Nashville.
Westmoreland made the move to lead-off batter and earned the full count walk.
Then the captain and two-hole hitter in Craska tripled to left center in another full count to score the runner.
Rippen then stripes one to first, who elects to try for a sliding Craska at home who is deemed safe for the 2-0 lead.
Walker then struck one down the third base side that Lipscomb could not handle as it skated into the left field corner wall to plate Rippen to cap off the three-run inning.
At the bottom of the inning, Young toed the rubber for the first time this season. The Bisons hit a couple singles before Young got three consecutive outs with a strikeout to end the threat.
As the wind picked up for the afternoon game, the bats picked up for North Alabama.
In the lead-off at-bat Jenkins took the third pitch for his second home run of the season over the left center wall.
Craska then singled through the right side before Coleman walked to put two aboard.
A shifted defensive setup against Rippen saw a single go towards left field which gave Craska his second run of the game — Millard walked after seeing four straight pitches.
Bases juiced, Walker stepped in. Lipscomb eyed for a new arm, choosing Tanner Lyne.
Walker battled to a full count before pumping one into center field. The Bisons center fielder went to his right, then turned to his left and dove for the ball before it hit the dirt towards at the warning track.
Bases cleared, double for Walker and an 8-0 Lions' lead.
Loving split the middle infield with a single to plate Walker to create the nine score lead.
Young worked a clean bottom of the second before the Bisons added one from a walk and a right center single, 9-1.
As the bottom of the fourth came to, Stogner took over for Young as he finished out his debut.
Lipscomb singled to right field before the wind lifted a home run to chip away, 9-3. Stogner catches two swinging and one looking to end the inning there.
Westmoreland opened the fifth with a single as Craska is hit in the next at-bat — Rippen walked to load the bases. A hard hit ground ball to second from Walker scores another to tally one for the 10-3 score.
However, Lipscomb returns some runs as they add four more in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to three.
Toney struck out the lead off batter in the seventh. Lipscomb singled then doubled to pose a threat with the tying run in the box.
Toney then worked back a full count to break down the next batter for the strikeout. Up next for Lipscomb was the top of the lineup Brady Miller who was 3-for-3 on the day — Toney tossed three straight strikes to sit him down and end the inning.
The Lions added some insurance runs thanks to a Craska single that leaked through the right side to score Loving. After three more walks, two more Lions scored to create the 13-7 advantage.
In the bottom of the eighth, Toney struck out two more Bisons to get to his fifth strikeout of the day.
Scruggs came in to close out the ninth forcing two putouts and then punched out one more to finalize the series.
Pitchers of Record
W – Reese Young (1-0)
L – Jackson Lee (1-2)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama gets four home games this next week beginning on Tuesday, March 17 with Tennessee Tech at 4:00 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.
