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Lipscomb roughs up Skyhawks


Lipscomb University banged out 22 hits and roughed up four UTM pitchers in a 17-4 victory over the Skyhawks in the final game of the Razz Classic played at Savannah City Park Tuesday night.

The Skyhawks fall to 11-16-1 on the year, while Lipscomb improves to 12-24 on the season and 3-6 against Ohio Valley Conference teams. Although not a member of the OVC, Lipscomb has played five OVC teams this season. The Skyhawks will return to OVC action Friday at Richmond, Ky., when they play a doubleheader against the host Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The three-game series will wrap up Saturday with a single game. The Skyhawks are 0-4-1 in the OVC.

Kyle Jackson led Lipscomb’s effort with six hits, two of which were home runs, and six RBI. The Bisons scored a run in the first inning, two in the second innings, four in the third inning and busted the game wide open with seven runs in the fifth inning.

“I am disappointed we lost, but our guys played well,” said Bubba Cates, Tennessee Martin head baseball coach.

“We could have done some things differently, but sometimes the nature of the game frustrates you ... The wind is blowing out or you lose the ball in the lights, or maybe they hit the ball between you. When things like that happen, it’s easy to get frustrated with the game.”

Cates said it was some of those frustrating things about the game that led to his team’s disappointing loss.

Senior Bobby Alford was the losing pitcher in the contest. He worked 2.1 innings. Freshmen Scott Massey, from McLemoresville; Micky Dobson, from Martin; and Casey Estill all threw against the Bisons. The foursome gave up 13 earned runs and 10 walks.

Offensively, the Skyhawks had 10 hits and four runs. Seniors Brady Nighswonger and Ryan Bethel had two hits each. Freshman Luke Parham, from Shelbyville, hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth. The Skyhawks put up two runs in the third inning and another run in the sixth inning.

The Razz Classic, sponsored by the River City Kiwanis Club, was designed to pay tribute to former longtime local sports enthusiast Bill Rasbach, who died in a one-vehicle accident in January of 2001. Rasbach played baseball at UT Martin and was an assistant football coach at Hardin County High School in two stints during the 1970s and 80s. He was a Hardin County commissioner and instrumental in securing the NAIA National Championship Football Game for Savannah.