It was going the way of so many Tennessee midweek games over the last year.
The No. 3 Vols trailed briefly in the top of the first inning but answered in the next two frames to open a three-run lead, seemingly on their way to adding to a dominating 15-game midweek win streak that dated back to last season.
Instead, Lipscomb mashed a team four home runs, came from behind to reclaim the lead and upset Tennessee, 9-5 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Tuesday.
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The Vols (37-8) scored two runs in the first and two more in the second but were held scoreless over the next four frames as the Bisons (16-27) plated at least one run in four-straight innings to go ahead for good.
Tennessee, which went through six pitchers, had no answer for Lipscomb leadoff hitter Alex Vergara, who homered twice.
Left-handed reliever Andrew Behnke took his first loss of the season to move to 2-1.
STARTING LINEUPS
Tennessee
1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B
2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B
3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B
4. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF
5. Dean Curley (R) - SS
6. Reese Chapman (L) - RF
7. Colby Backus (R) - CF
8. Cannon Peebles (B) - C
9. Dalton Bargo (L) - DH
LHP Dylan Loy
Lipscomb
1. Alex Vergara (R) - CF
2. Mason Lundgrin (L) - 1B
3. Trace Willhoite (R) - SS
4. Austin Kelly (L) - C
5. Will Lee (B) - RF
6. David Coppedge (R) - 3B
7. Jacob Tobias (L) - LF
8. Carter Richey (L) - DH
9. Parks Bouck (R) - 2B
RHP Ryan Kutz
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dylan Loy got into early trouble, giving up a leadoff double down the left field line before Mason Willhoite drove in the run with an RBI single through the left side.
The damage was limited there, though after Loy tossed his second strikeout and Cannon Peebles threw out Willhoite at second to end the frame down 1-0.
All three batters in the top of Tennessee's order reached in the bottom half with Christian Moore wearing a pitch in leadoff and Blake Burke drawing a walk. Billy Amick singled to shallow right to load the bases, then Dylan Dreiling singled to second to score Moore and get the Vols on the board.
Dean Curley grounded into a double play but it allowed Burke to plate the go-ahead run and put Tennessee up 2-1 before the end of the inning.
Colby Backus led off the second with a double off the wall in left and Dalton Bargo walked two at-bats later, setting up a Burke double that deflected off the glove of Willhoite at short to score two more runs and up the Vols' lead to 4-1.
Alex Vergara got a run back in the third, sending a solo home run over the wall in left with one out to cut Tennessee's advantage to 4-2.
Lipscomb stayed hot at the plate in the fourth, recording multiple hits in the frame, including a Austin Tobias two-RBI double into right that evened the score at 4-4 with one out.
Looking to answer in the home half, Bargo doubled to right with one out and reached third on a fly out, but Tennessee couldn't capitalize, ending the frame with a Burke fly out to center instead.
Vergara made the Vols pay for it in the fifth, recording his second home run off the batter's eye in center to give the Bison the lead for the second time at 5-4. Reliever Andrew Behnke, who entered for Marcus Phillips to start the fifth, gave up a walk but go out of the inning down one.
Amick and Dreiling sent balls to deep center in back-to-back at-bats but the park held both, resulting in two quick outs in the fifth. Curley worked a two-out walk and stole second to get into scoring position, but the Vols again came up empty-handed.
Lipscomb, meanwhile added to its lead again with a pair of home runs in the sixth, the first from David Coppedge and the second from Parks Bouck to stretch Tennessee's deficit to three runs at 7-4.
Matthew Dallas, who was the Vols' fourth arm out of the bullpen, held Lipscomb scoreless for the first time in four frames with three strikeouts in the seventh.
A defensive stand seemed to swing momentum back to Tennessee offensively. Burke reached on an infield single and Amick doubled off the wall in left-center to put two runners into scoring position with no outs.
Dreiling loaded the bases on a walk and Curley grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Burke. It was the Vols' first run since the second, but they missed on the opportunity to add more in the inning.
Carter Richey added some insurance with an RBI double to left-center to swell the Bisons lead in the eighth. Richey later scored on a wild pitch to deepen Tennessee' hole at 9-5.
Down to their last two outs, Amick homered to right but it was't enough to get the bats going late.
PLAY OF THE GAME
1. Blake Burke two-RBI double extends Tennessee's lead in the second.
WATCH
UP NEXT
Tennessee made up some ground in the SEC Eastern Division race with its sweep of Missouri last week.
The Vols are now one game back from first place Kentucky and can possibly move into the top spot in the first of two critical road series against Florida this weekend.
The Gators have lost four-straight conference series.
Game 1 of a three-game series between Tennessee and Florida begins Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2) at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville. The series continues on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network+) and will conclude Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network +).
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