The Lipscomb softball team (18-16) lost to in-state foe Tennessee (26-8) 7-1 Tuesday afternoon at Draper Diamond at Smith Sadium in front of a record crowd of 553.
Senior Tanner Sanders (8-9) took to the circle for Lipscomb.
The Lady Vols added the first run of the game in the third as freshman Brook Vines single scored sophomore CJ McClain from third base. Senior Lexi Overstreet added two more runs to the Tennessee lead with a two-run double with two outs in the third to make it 3-0.
“We made a couple actual errors, but then we had a couple mental miscues,” head coach Kristin Ryman said. “I don’t think we always executed defensively tonight.”
Senior Kelly Young took over for Sanders in the third when Sanders could not close out the inning after recording two outs. Young was able to get the final out and get out of the inning.
“I thought our pitchers did a good job, just maybe some untimely hits after they got runners on,” Ryman said.
Tennessee loaded the bases in the fourth, threatening to extend the lead. The bases were cleared by sophomore Meghan Gregg as she drove in three more runs, extending the lead to 6-0. Senior Dee Baddley made a leaping catch at the wall to make the third out of the inning.
“Defensively executing with two outs and not leaving the door open, I think as soon as you do, against any team, they are going to take advantage of it,” Ryman said.
The Lady Bisons’ scored a run in the fourth courtesy of senior Baylee Williams, who knocked in sophomore Abby Fenichel, making it 6-1.
“I think offensively, while we didn’t generate a lot of hits, I thought we did some good things at the plate,” Ryman said. “We never got any big hits, they were all just singles and when you’re not putting those singles together it makes it difficult to get on the board.”
Tennessee increased their lead to 7-1 in the sixth with a sacrifice fly from Meghan Gregg that scored Megan Geer and never let Lipscomb get close.
The Lady Bisons head to Cookeville, Tennessee to face Tennessee Tech on Wednesday. The next home game for Lipscomb will be Saturday, April 2, at 1 p.m. against Florida Gulf Coast.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics