After giving up three runs in the first inning, the Lady Bison softball team rallied in the seventh inning to beat rival Belmont 4-3 on Wednesday.
Ahead 3-2 in the seventh with runners on the corners and two outs, Belmont’s Ashley Johnson threw freshman Khayla Green, allowing her to tie the game.
After sophomore Abby Finichel walked, freshman Sarah Higgins stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and two outs. Facing a full count, Higgins shot her next pitch to center field to drive in junior Kasey Gibson and give the Lady Bisons the 4-3 win.
“She (Higgins) had a rough game tonight and she’ll be the first to tell you that,” Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman said. “I thought for her to have as rough of a game as she did, at the end she honed back in a found a good pitch to hit.”
Despite the win, Ryman was not pleased with what she saw from her team most of the game.
“We escaped,” Ryman said. “Honestly, I feel like we got outplayed. Sure we’re happy with the win. Some tough lessons learned through that game. We can’t take pitches off and tonight we took several innings off.”
Lipscomb (15-15) senior pitcher Kelly Young was able to settle down after allowing three Bruins to cross the plate in the first inning.
Young hit her first batter and walked the second before Belmont’s Lexi Rouse took her first pitch over the left field wall to give her team a 3-0 lead.
“Obviously, the tone wasn’t set from the get-go. You never want to give up three runs off the bat. I thought Kelly did a great job after that,” Ryman said. “Obviously, we can’t have that kind of start. I think that affected everyone, tone wise and we can’t let it affect us.”
The Lady Bisons were able to get two runs back in the bottom of the second.
Senior Baylee Williams got things started in the inning as she was able to double off the wall to lead the inning. A passed ball and a walk from senior Kelly Young gave the Lady Bisons runners on the corners with one out for senior Dee Baddley.
Baddley chopped one back to the pitcher with Williams coming home, forcing a play at the plate. The senior slid in just under the tag to get a run back.
Following Baddley, freshman Destinee Brewer was safe after a fielder’s choice to load the bases for senior Brittany Elmore. Elmore was able to lift a ball into left field, allowing Young to score.
As the Lady Bison’s get ready to play conference foe Jacksonville on Friday, Ryman wants her team to focus on getting better mentally.
“We’ve got to go back to work tomorrow. I think more mentally than anything, our head’s got to be in the right spot.”
The weekend series against the Dolphins starts at Draper Diamond on Friday with a double-header beginning at 4 p.m. before the finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics