Senior Kristen Sturdivant’s walk-off home run gave the Lady Bisons a 2-1 victory over Virginia Tech Hokies on Sunday at Draper Diamond.
Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, the game was tied 1-1. The Lady Bisons made solid contact the entire game but still needed a big hit. Sturdivant, the leadoff batter in the seventh, delivered.
“My last at-bat, I was just trying to make up for my previous at-bat and learning from that mistake,” Sturdivant said. “I was looking for the outside pitch, and that’s what I got.”
The first hit of the game came in the second inning. A solo home run by Virginia Tech Vanessa Gonzalez gave Tech the 1-0 lead.
Lipscomb junior Brianne Welch led off the third inning with a double to left center field. A sacrifice bunt by Lipscomb sophomore Brittany Elmore moved Welch over to third base. Welch then scored on a wild pitch to even the game at 1-1.
Tech threatened in the fifth with its redshirt sophomore Katey Smith earning a lead off walk. Tech junior Lauren Gaskill was hit by a pitch, and then Tech senior Kat Banks was walked to load the bases. Lipscomb sophomore Tanner Sanders got out of the inning when Tech junior Kylie McGoldrick lined out to third base.
Tech’s Kelly Heinz retired 10 straight batters after Welch scored. She is now 1-1 in the circle this season allowing just two hits, two runs (one earned) with two walks and seven strikeouts in the loss to the Lady Bisons.
Sanders picked up the win and complete game, allowing one run on just two hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
The Lady Bisions improve to 3-0 after the big win over Tech.
“Anytime you can get a win over a big name school and one that is always in the top 25 early in the season is huge for us,” said Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman. “Nothing’s more exciting than a walk-off win, especially for one of our seniors.”
Lipscomb has hosted the Music City Classic all weekend. The Lady Bisons picked up two wins on Saturday to start the season. Lipscomb defeated Miami-Ohio 11-7 in the first game then run-ruled Tennessee State in the sixth inning 10-2. Sturdivant also hit a solo home run against Tennessee State.
“I think we definitely have the momentum in our favor that will definitely carry over to our next game against Butler and then next weekend against Baylor,” Sturdivant said. “It was a good team win that gives us confidence.”
Photo credit: Erin Turner