March 29, 2008

Final Stats

Bisons' right-hander Brandon McClurg gave Lipscomb fans something to cheer for on Saturday, as he no-hit the Kennesaw State Owls 4-0.

The Bisons got on the board in the second inning, using an RBI single by Allen Bolden to take a 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, the Bisons added to their lead in the fifth. The scoring started when Brad Gooch crossed the plate on a wild pitch. The next batter, Caleb Joseph lined a hit to center, that Owl's centerfielder, Martin Baker, misplayed, allowing the ball to go all the way to the wall, while Joseph rounded the bases for an inside the park home run. Bolden also scored on the play.

McClurg was masterful in the game, walking only one batter, although he did hit four with pitches. He struck out ten, his season high. He needed only 113 pitches in the complete game effort.

The Bisons, recorded only six hits against, Owls' starter, Chad Jenkins, themselves. The top three hitters in the lineup were the only ones to record a hit. Bolden recorded three while Joseph added two, and Jorge Gutierrez had the final hit for the Bisons.

"This was a big turn around from yesterday because we were really down on ourselves after the big loss," Bolden said. "Brad Gooch really stepped up, getting on base and scoring twice. It was a great team effort."

With the win, McClurg improved to 4-0 on the season. The Bisons meanwhile, improved to 13-11, and 9-5 in the conference.

"It was a good game," McClurg said. "I was feeling pretty good early on. Later I started getting tired, and the team made some pretty good plays behind me to help me out. When the game was over, I had forgotten about it [the no-hitter]. I was more tired than anything at then end.

"It felt good to celebrate with the guys after. They were real happy about it. It felt good to beat Kennesaw too. We have had a tough time against them."

Game two of the double-header was postponed due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 30.