March 10, 2012
Final Stats
Siena's Spring Break trip got off to an ominous start Saturday with a lopsided doubleheader loss at Lipscomb. The Bison toppled the Saints 11-1 in the opener, and coasted to a 17-6 win in the nightcap.
Lipscomb (6-10) struck for two runs in the second and never trailed in the opener. Connor Sinclair tossed six strong innings to pick up the win, allowing just one earned run on six hits. Tyler Burstrom dominated the last three innings for the save. Burstrom allowed two hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out three.
Siena (1-12) scored its only run in the opener in the third on singles by Ryan Metzler, Ted Trymbiski and John Rooney. Trymbski and Rooney each had two hits for the Saints, while Metzler led the way with a 3-for-3 performance.
Head coach Tony Rossi swapped Ryan Poplawski and Justin Brantley at the top of the rotation, but neither pitcher had their best stuff. Poplawski left after five innings in the first game having sacrificed four earned runs with four strikeouts. The Siena bullpen was rocked for seven runs in just three innings.
Brantley gave up eight runs, six earned, on seven hits in five innings of work in the second game, and Lipscomb again feasted on the Siena pen scoring nine times in the last three innings.
The Saints led 3-1 after scoring three times in the third inning in a rally keyed by Larry Balkwill's two-RBI single to right center. Balkwill finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and was the only Saints to manage a multi-hit game.
M.L. Williams and Zach Lowery each had three hits for Lipscomb. Blake Fonfara did enough on the hill to earn the win, and the Bison bullpen was effective again.
The two teams complete their three-game set Sunday at 1 p.m.
