Lady Bisons softball team brings strong offense to chilly ‘Battle’ with Belmont

The Lady Bisons softball team came out swinging on a cold Thursday afternoon against down-the-street rival Belmont, posting a 13-0 victory at Rose Park. Junior right fielder Gracey Aguirre, senior shortstop Bridgette Begle and freshman second baseman Mimi Cartwright scored two runs apiece during the season’s Battle of the Boulevard. The win over the Bruins puts the Lady Bisons at 13-2. Aguirre said that scoring quickly is a big help. “I think we just need to continue hitting, because that’s what’s helping us out in the games,” Aguirre said. “We’re scoring early in the game, and we’re not letting down our guard.” After a one-run first inning, Lipscomb scored four runs in the third and six runs in the sixth. Senior catcher/infielder Rena’ Cothron went three-for-four with three RBIs. Aguirre and junior infielder Paige Neely each had a triple. Belmont (5-7) stranded eight baserunners against sophomore Tanner Sanders (5-1). The Lady Bisons begin their Atlantic Sun schedule this weekend in far-warmer Jacksonville against North Florida (14-3). “We just need to be aggressive and attack,” Aguirre said. “[North Florida is] known to have really good pitchers, so we just need to be ready, stay focused and continue hitting.” After the day’s original schedule was changed, another game between the two teams will be scheduled.  File photo courtesy of Lipscomb...

Bisons top 2013 conference champs Florida Gulf Coast in late-season game

Allen Arena hosted another exciting game on Thursday night as the Bisons’ basketball team topped Florida Gulf Coast University 92-71 with the help of sharp 3-point shooting.  From the tip-off, the Eagles of FGCU scored two points to lead 2-0, but the Bisons answered, scoring six straight three-pointers. From there, Lipscomb never looked back, leading by 20 at the half. Bisons head coach Casey Alexander said that the shooting helped lead the team to victory. “We shot the ball great the whole night, and making our first six was a huge lift for us…confidence wise, and we held the lead from there,” Alexander said. In the second half, the Bisons cooled off, but they stayed consistent and continued to be aggressive, take shots and most importantly, make the shots. In total, Lipscomb scored fifteen three’s, six from junior forward Martin Smith, one from senior guard/forward Khion Sankey, three from freshman guard Josh Williams and three from redshirt freshman guard J.C. Hampton. Martin Smith and Hampton tied for 21 points to lead the team. Junior forward Malcolm Smith and sophomore guard Talbott Denny also scored double digits with 20 points and 11, respectively. As good as the shooting was, Alexander said that the perimeter shooting was not necessarily part of the plan on Thursday. “We just took the shots that came to us,” Alexander said. “We didn’t come out here trying to shoot a lot of three’s; that wasn’t really part of the game plan.” FGCU responded to Lipscomb’s shooting, as junior guard Brett Comer lead the charge with 27 points. It was not enough, however. The Eagles, over the course of the game, turned...

The Postgame – Feb. 27: Your week in Nashville sports

The Lady Bisons softball team are off to a quick start, track and field finishes strong in the A-Sun championships, a top ranked team makes a stop in Music city and teams prepare for conference championships on the hardwood in this week’s Nashville sports.Lipscomb Softball: The Lady Bisons are off to a strong start in their season. They’ve posted a 12-2 record while defeating teams like Virginia Tech and Baylor. They’ve received votes in ESPN.com/USA’s Top 25 poll and are quickly on their way to a successful season. The team will play Belmont away today at 3:45 p.m. Lipscomb Track and Field: Dani Walker continued her success into the A-Sun indoor conference championships, winning three events and claiming the A-Sun Championship Most Valuable Player award. Madi Talbert finished second behind Walker in the 3000 meter, helping the women’s team score fifth place.Tucker Peabody repeated as 200 meter dash champion as the men’s team finished in third place. The outdoor track and field season will start on March 15 at Rhodes Opens in Memphis, Tenn. Belmont Men’s Basketball: The Bruins are on a five game winning streak after defeating SIU Edwardsville on the road Wednesday night. Senior J.J. Mann along with junior Reece Chamberlain and sophomore Craig Bradshaw have led Belmont to a 22-8 record and first place in the OVC standings this season. Their final game of the regular season is at Jacksonville State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball: It’s a lot of pressure to take on the number one team in the nation, but historically Vanderbilt has stood up to the challenge. However, in Tuesday night’s match up against Florida, it just wasn’t in the...

Sign-ups still open for university-led spring break mission trips

The clock is ticking, but it is still not too late to sign up for a spring break mission trip. Lipscomb will be sending out eighteen mission teams all over the globe this spring break. Missions coordinator Paul Stevens says there is still time for students to sign up and participate. “Students can still sign up,” Stevens said. “Our trips are not full. There is still time to get involved.” With spring break only about two weeks away, many students think they have missed their shot at going on a trip, but Stevens says that is not the case. “We have had students sign up two or three days before the trip in years past,” Stevens said. “Lipscomb wants as many students to go that can.” Many mission teams have been meeting over the last few months to prepare for their trip, but students who still want to go should not let their lack of preparation keep them from going. “We have had teams meeting for months now,” Stevens said. “This has allowed them to grow together as a team and find out how well they will be able to work together. If there is room and the student has the capability to go, then we want them to.” Students may be wondering, “How do I get started this process started? Where do I go to check to see if trips are open?” Stevens says he recommends that students check out the university’s spring break missions page for trip availability. “All the mission teams are listed there and if the trip says it is open, then there is space, but some will say close...

Indoor track success to roll over to outdoor

Success has been something that Lipscomb Track & Field has had a taste of this year and it’s 2014 Indoor Atlantic Sun Championship was no different. The indoor conference championship was held at the JDL Fast Track in North Carolina this year. The men finished with their best ever in third place beating their old record of finishing in fifth. The women finished fifth, tying their best ever. Junior Kenny Smith is a member of the 4×400 relay team that picked up first place at the meet and is a veteran when it comes to the team’s success. “I feel that every year the team fights more and more for each other. When I say that, we fight for every point we can get,” Smith said. “This season the men’s team got the most points we have ever got. It shows we are going in the right direction.” Smith, along with Tucker Peabody, Brian Gentry and Colin Dempster are the men’s 4×400 meter relay team. A team effort led to a time of 3:18.57. For the second year in a row, Peabody won the 200 meter dash and came in second place in the 60 meter dash. Two stand out freshman are Wayne Newman and Christian Freeman. Newman earned the 1st place title in 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.07. Freeman placed 3rd in the men’s 500 meter and 2nd in the men’s 300 meter. With his finishing times, he was able to set new school records in both of these events. As for the women, Dani Walker was named most valuable performer for her second year in a row....

Rush Hour Concerts provide rhythmic remedy for traffic troubles

Lipscomb University’s Rush Hour Concerts are aptly named, as people can pop in for a one-hour concert to wait for traffic to clear up before heading home. Gary Wilson, director of vocal and choral activities, first came up with the idea that soon became a reality last spring. “The idea was born while looking for a creative way to handle our performance schedule toward the end of the year,” Wilson said. The department of music sponsors over 100 concerts every school year. These include individual students performing a solo recital as part of their degree requirements, groups of students performing as part of an ensemble such as A Cappella Singers or Wind Ensemble and faculty or guest artists presenting professional concerts. “At the end of the year, there are so many students needing to give recitals and ensembles wanting to perform that it’s difficult to get everything done,” Wilson said. “We do not schedule two concerts at the same time, so the Rush Hour Concerts were created to alleviate some of our scheduling issues.” The first Rush Hour Concert last spring featured the ChamberMen ensemble, Lipscomb’s male choral ensemble that began as a quintet in 2012 and has since expanded to include 11 singers. This month’s concert featured the AronBerkner Duo, with Jane Berkner and Stephen Aron. “Rush Hour Concerts have become a very popular part of our concert offerings,” Wilson said. “No one is in charge, but any music faculty member can schedule a performance at this time. Typically, these concerts are less than an hour, and have no intermission, so they’re over by 6 p.m.” Photo courtesy of...