FLORENCE, Ala. (March 29, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team used quality pitching and timely hitting to even the series with Lipscomb at one win apiece on Friday, defeating the Bisons by a 5-3 final. Leighton Jenkins led the Lions at the plate, while all three UNA pitchers enjoyed positive outings. 
 
The Lions improve to 9-16 on the season, while the Bisons fall to 6-19. The two teams are now an identical 2-6 in Atlantic Sun Conference play entering Saturday's game. 
 
Knotted in a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth, Jackson Ferrigno stepped up to the plate with the go-ahead run on third base and the Lipscomb infield at the edge of the grass. Ferrigno chopped a single to right field to score Dominick McIntyre and give UNA the lead.
 
Jacob Bradshaw started game two for North Alabama and strung together his longest outing of the season, tossing 7.0 innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking out four Lipscomb batters. 
 
Bradshaw started his day throwing two scoreless innings, facing just eight batters across the two frames. Lipscomb scored first, after stringing together a pair of hits in the top of the third inning. 
 
UNA promptly responded in the home half as Levi Jensen began the inning with a single to right center field before advancing to second base on a wild pitch. Jenkins turned in his fifth double of the season to bring home Jensen and even the score at 1-1. 
 
After a Gehrig Frei walk and a Kyle Machado single loaded the bases, UNA was able to take the lead on a McIntyre sacrifice fly to deep left field. 
 
Ferrigno led off the fourth inning with a single before a Jonathan Lane double to right field left runners at the corners for the Lions. Jenkins grounded out, but picked up his second RBI of the night as Ferrigno came home to score. 
 
A two-out solo home run from Lipscomb leadoff hitter Alex Vergara cut the UNA lead in the fifth inning, but Bradshaw was quick to limit the damage. Bradshaw did not allow a hit across the next two innings, bringing UNA to the eighth with a 3-2 lead. 
 
Vergara doubled to center field to lead off the eighth inning and after Caleb Menina entered in relief, stole third base. Menina only faced three batters, picking up a strikeout, a flyout and a lineout, but Vergara scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.
 
McIntyre led off the bottom of the eighth with a single before picking up his fourth stolen base of the season to move into scoring position. A groundout moved McIntyre over to third base with one out as Ferrigno chopped a single over the head of the Lipscomb second baseman to score McIntyre.
 
Lane picked up his second double of the game before a fielder's choice put UNA runners at the corners with two outs. Jenkins reached on a throwing error and picked up his third RBI of the evening to put UNA up 5-3 entering the ninth.
 
Dane Sykes entered the game for North Alabama in a save situation and quickly picked up two outs. With a full count on his third batter, Sykes ended the game with an emphatic strikeout to pick up his second save of the season. 
 
Jenkins enjoyed a 2-for-4 afternoon with a double and three RBIs while Frei and Lane each picked up two hits of their own. The North Alabama pitching staff allowed just five hits across 9.0 innings, while picking up seven strikeouts. 
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Caleb Menina (1-1)
L – Chandler Giles (0-2)
S – Dane Sykes (2)
  
COMING UP NEXT
  
UNA and Lipscomb return to Mike D. Lane Field for the series deciding match on Saturday, March 30 at 2 p.m.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.