by Danny Kotula | Apr 1, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb women’s soccer team participated in a friendly match Thursday afternoon, drawing with the Vanderbilt Commodores 1-1. The result was an improvement on last year’s meeting between the cross-town rivals, with Vanderbilt taking the most recent contest 2-0 on September 9, 2021. A ragtag referee crew of assistant coaches wearing neon pinnies officiated the first 25 minutes of the match before a licensed center official arrived at Lipscomb Soccer Complex. The contest was played in a modified format with two 30-minute halves. The lineup that took the field was familiar in terms of personnel for the Purple and Gold, as head coach Kevin O’Brien started his best lineup for the offseason tilt. It did feature a new formation, though, mainly looking like a 3-5-2 with a defensive midfielder. “In the first period, I loved [the 3-5-2 formation],” O’Brien said. “Against Vanderbilt’s 3-5-2 we looked really, really dangerous and created a lot of great chances. When they advanced their full backs higher, it caused us trouble,” O’Brien said. While a few poor touches and missed passes were present, the game largely resembled the caution and precision of a regular-season match. Neither side could gain much traction offensively in the first frame, but Vanderbilt did manage three shots, all of which were off target. In the 22nd minute, the Commodores had their best chance early on with a cutback from the right flank finding an awaiting striker in the box. The first-time effort went well over the bar to keep the scores level. The Bisons took one shot in the first period which came on a header inside...
by Danny Kotula | Mar 30, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb baseball team lost 7-1 to ninth-ranked Vanderbilt Tuesday evening at First Horizon Park, the home of the MiLB’s Nashville Sounds. It was a difficult day at the office for the Bisons’ bullpen, but it didn’t begin that way. Sophomore pitcher Connor Witzke had a dream start for Lipscomb, forcing the Commodores to go three up, three down with two strikeouts in the top of the first. The Aurora, Illinois-born transfer from Kalamazoo Valley Community College finished with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings but owned a 5.06 ERA and gave up four runs on two hits. It would be Lipscomb to take the first lead of the outing, though, when leadoff hitter David Coppedge scored on a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Mason Lundgrin. “To hit a double in the first, it’s exciting,” Coppedge, a transfer from Virginia, said. “It sets a tone. Unfortunately we didn’t get the win, but it was fun.” Lundgrin, a sophomore from Salina, Kansas, entered the game with a .307 batting average and 15 RBIs, both good for third-best on the team. He ended the day at 0-3 but earned Lipscomb’s only RBI. Vanderbilt came right back to score two in the top of the second, taking advantage of two walks from Witzke. After Witzke hit a player by a pitch right after to load the bases, he was replaced by fellow sophomore Kaleb Kantola. A native of Monmouth, Oregon, Kantola also struggled to close out the second frame. Kantola walked two of his three batters faced before he was also retired in the same inning. Sophomore Patrick Williams was able...
by Danny Kotula | Mar 24, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb softball team beat the Chattanooga Mocs 11-10 Wednesday afternoon at Draper Diamond in a nine-inning thriller. The bats were quiet early but sprung to life as the game came to a close, with both teams matching offensive outputs to keep the game going well beyond the standard seven innings. Redshirt freshman pitcher Laine Barefoot picked up the win, improving to 5-5 on the season. Hailing from Louisburg, North Carolina, Barefoot allowed just one hit and collected 2 strikeouts. Offensively, the Bisons were led by right fielder Presley Leebrick, who picked up two runs and four hits, including a double. The junior’s .349 batting average leads the team. Barefoot’s first strikeout helped the Bisons to a scoreless top of the first defensively. Chattanooga picked up a hit early with a single and advanced to second on a steal, but that was as far as the visitors got in the opening frame. On offense, Lipscomb grabbed two quick hits from senior Amy Vetula and Leebrick, respectively. Junior Maci Cunconan was walked on a 3-2 count to load the bases, and a Kamrie Rich single brought home the first point of the game. Two straight outs put the inning in jeopardy, but Rich stole home a single pitch before the inning ended on a strikeout. Barefoot continued her strong start by going three up, three down and sending things straight to the bottom of the second. On offense, the bats kept swinging. Senior outfielder Jessie Brown scored on Leebrick’s RBI to extend the Lipscomb lead to 3-0 after two innings. Neither team could capitalize on having multiple runners...
by Danny Kotula | Mar 10, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb baseball team beat the Austin Peay State Governors 5-3 Wednesday afternoon at Dugan Field. Six hits in the first three innings carried the Bisons to a victory despite a slow finish offensively. Graduate pitcher Jared Shemper endured an up-and-down first inning, giving up three walks and an unearned run but using two strikeouts to escape with one run. Sophomore Chandler Giles replaced Shemper in the second inning and earned the win, going 1-0 on the season. Giles got the Bisons out of the second after Shemper gave up his second run of the day. In the bottom of the second, Lipscomb got on the board with a solo home run from senior infielder Malik Williams. The Toronto, Canada native put the Bisons within one on his third homer of the year, but his was the only hit of the inning, leaving the score at 2-1 in favor of the visitors. Giles continued his solid play at the mound with Lipscomb’s first run-free frame on defense. Despite second and third being reached by APSU runners, the right-handed pitcher kept the Governors off the scoreboard. That opened the door for a four-run bottom of the third for the Bisons. Austin Haymaker, Caleb Ketchup, Trace Willhoite, and Willhoite all scored in a five-hit inning. From there, Lipscomb stayed off the scoresheet, using resolute defense to hold onto the lead. The outfit from Clarksville did pull one run back in the fifth, but that was the last of the scoring on the afternoon. Logan Van Treeck, Hayden Frank, Will Newell, Gavin Grubbs, Tyler Legere, Connor Witzke, and Trey Nordmann...
by Danny Kotula | Mar 7, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
Like most programs across the nation, the Lipscomb women’s basketball team has been active on both sides of the transfer portal ahead of the upcoming 2022-23 basketball season. After the Bisons’ season came to an end at the hands of North Florida on March 2, head coach Lauren Sumski’s crew can now look forward to next season with undivided attention. As of now, one player has joined and one has left via transfer. After freshman guard Katherine Weakley quietly left the program this winter, Aleah Sorrentino was announced in early February as a transfer into Lipscomb from Ole Miss. Weakley, from Worthington, Ohio, will move back to her home state to play with Division II Cedarville. Weakley averaged 4 points in 9.8 minutes per game, appearing in eight contests before making the decision to leave. Sorrentino will join the Bisons with three years of eligibility remaining after spending half a season with the Rebels of the SEC. The Palm Bay, Florida native also played eight games this year, averaging 5.9 minutes a game and putting 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds on average. The 6’3″ forward will add much-needed size to the Bisons’ lineup and could see a role in the starting lineup from day one. A product of Florida Prep, Sorrentino becomes just the second listed forward on Lipscomb’s roster. The Bisons will also get help at the forward spot from their incoming freshman class. Kamil Collier of Nashville will bring her 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game to Lipscomb next year and will be joined by Taylor Bowen, a native of Carmel, Indiana. The third member of...
