EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell baseball team led a five-run lead slip away on Tuesday, falling to Lewis & Clark College in a non-conference meeting, 7-5 at Hamlin Sports Complex.  
 
Bushnell (23-6) got things off to a strong start as Tyler Biddinger got the start, throwing the first three innings without allowing a hit.
 
The Beacons got on the board with three runs in the second, highlighted by an RBI double from Liam Kerr. Two more came home in the third, the second on Kerr's RBI single, and Bushnell was off to a 5-0 advantage.
 
The scheduled staff pitching day was hit-or-miss for the Beacons, featuring strong innings from Trevor Hammond and Alec Gums, with Gums striking out the side in the top of the ninth. Jacob Courtney came off injured reserve to make his Beacon pitching debut with a perfect fifth inning, striking out a pair.
 
The Pioneers (8-8) came back into the game with a four-run fourth inning, tied the contest in the seventh and took the lead for good with two runs in the eighth against Loreto Siniscalchi (4-1), who suffered his first loss of the season.
 
Lewis & Clark had a little more success from their extended Tuesday bullpen as five relievers went 5.2 innings without surrendering a hit. Connor Broschard (1-0) got the win, striking out two batters in the seventh and Brett Potter came in to grab his second save, despite giving up two hits as Bushnell attempted a late rally.
 
Kerr finished his day with three hits, as did Will Hudler to lead the Bushnell offense.
 
UP NEXT: Bushnell remains at home this weekend for another four-game Cascade Conference series, playing host to Eastern Oregon University. The Beacons head into the series in third-place in the CCC, one game behind both Lewis-Clark State and British Columbia.