by Bridgette Begle | Mar 17, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
In our home series against Jacksonville we took two big wins on Saturday and spent some time dancing in the rain on Sunday. Saturday’s first game was nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Until the fifth inning it was tied at zero, but both teams had hot bats. The Dolphins struck first scoring four runs in the sixth inning. We only scratched one that inning but labeled ourselves the “Comeback Kids” later in the game. Losing 1-4 going into the seventh is not an ideal situation at all, but with the help of Kristen Sturdivant, who earned A-Sun player of the week, we matched their three run lead. After we rallied back to take the game into extra innings, Jacksonville started the inning off with a solo home run and went on to score two more runs. We connected some hits here and there and found a way to comeback again even after trailing by three. In the top of the ninth, the Dolphins couldn’t find a way to push one across so all we had to do was score one. With two runners on, slapper Brittany Elmore sent one over the right field fence, pushing our lead and finishing score to 10-7. With pounding hearts, we all decided to make the next game a little less stressful for everyone, including our fans. We came out and run ruled Jacksonville in the fifth with a grand slam by Brianne Welch to lock it in at 11-0. The real fun started on Sunday when the rain delay was in effect and both teams moved into Allen Arena to kill...
by Erika Thornsberry | Mar 17, 2014 | Sports
For any athlete the day must come when they have to hang up their shoes and say good-bye to the game they love, and for senior basketball players, Jess Reece and O’Neisha Smith, that day came March 11th as the Lady Bisons ended their season in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament. Reece and Smith have had two different experiences during their time at Lipscomb. Reece finished her last minutes on the court, but due to double knee surgeries Smith was unable to play her senior year. Stepping back and reflecting on their four years as student athletes, they say they have learned a lot and made a lot of memories along the way. “One thing I will take from playing college basketball would be the importance of being positive and always working hard no matter what struggles you may encounter,” Reece said. “I think God made me realize that although I do love the game, it is just that, a game. He brought me to a place where I can glorify him through playing.” Both Reece and Smith traveled out of their home states to go to college. Being away from their hometown family and friends, they quickly learned to bond with teammates. “As far as memories go, I have too many to count. Most of them are not from games though, but rather bus rides and traveling and hanging out with my teammates,” Reece said. “I’ve made some amazing friends through playing and have met some great people.” “My favorite memory was freshman year when we traveled to Colorado to play Air Force,” Smith said....
by Cory Woodroof | Mar 13, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Baseball great Ernie Banks will make his way to campus for the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence on April 19. Banks is considered to be one of the great baseball players in Chicago Cubs history and one of the most beloved players in the history of the sport. “The Don Meyer Evening of Excellence has had great guests over the years and we are thrilled to add Ernie Banks’ name to the Lipscomb lineup card,” Athletics Director Philip Hutcheson in a press release from Lipscomb Athletics. “Ernie Banks is one of those ‘Mount Rushmore’ kind of figures when it comes to the world of baseball’s greatest ambassadors.” Hutcheson spoke about Banks’ legacy in the sport and beyond. “Not only was he a Hall of Fame player on the field, but the joy that he brought to the game, the way he connected with his community and the work he did to promote what’s good about sports would have gotten him in Cooperstown even if he never played an inning,” Hutcheson said. Past guests include NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Coach Meyer himself. Last year, Duck Dynasty family members Phil, Si and Kay Robertson were the centerpieces of the event. Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday event online or by phone at 615-966-4373. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Mar 12, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Bison volleyball players Lauren Ford and Jewell Dobson attended the U.S. Olympic Volleyball tryouts late last month and came home with memories and important lessons. The two juniors were selected to represent Lipscomb at the tryout and said the atmosphere was almost unreal. “It really didn’t hit me; it really didn’t set in with me until I walked in,” middle blocker Jewell Dobson said. The women said the tryouts were fast-paced and constant. Each session was two hours and consisted mostly of drills. “The style of play was just different. It was very intense. We were always running around playing [volleyball], so in a way that was fast paced,” Dobson said. “It seemed surreal to us that we were playing with the best of the best,”outside hitter Ford added. Through those drills, outside hitter Lauren Ford says she learned valuable lessons that she plans on taking into her senior year. “One thing I saw was just a passion from the defenders. They always had this ridiculous energy that you don’t normally see in a lot of defenders,” Ford said. She also explained that she wants to be more vocal with that passion as well. Dobson agreed saying she wants to carry that same passion into the aspects of her play and also highlighted the value of teamwork. “We both have more of this appreciation for our own team; more so than we even did before. The only way a team is great is if everyone’s connecting and working together,” Dobson said. Dobson and Ford also said that the presence of assistant coach Billy Ebel helped them stay comfortable at the...
by Sydney Poe | Mar 12, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lady Bisons golf team is taking its spring break getaway a week earlier than most students. The group is taking its third trip to Hawaii where they will play in the University of Hawaii’s Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational this week. “We [will] play The Klipper Course on the Kaneohe Marine Base on the island of Oahu,” said head coach Buddy Harston. The invitational will feature teams from the SEC, PAC 10, Big 10 and the Big 12. The team is looking forward to the nice weather Hawaii will provide. “Playing there with green grass and blue skies is going to be wonderful,” said sophomore Miriam Parker. While on the trip, Parker said she will focus on her time in the tournament while also enjoying the beauty of Hawaii. Senior MacKenzy Carter is looking forward to getting back to the tropical course. “We came last year and had so much fun, so getting to come back for my senior year is just icing on the cake,” Carter said. The Lady Bisons spent much of their offseason indoors due to the harsh winter. In their first spring outing, they placed fourth at the Time Warner Racer Classic hosted by Murray State. Parker was the top finisher for the Lady Bisons at the Time Warner Racer Classic. She finished at tenth overall with a score of 154 total. Besides participating in the University of Hawaii Donis Thompson Invitational, the team will take some time for sightseeing, including stops at the USS Arizona Memorial and the North Shore. “Golf is a different sport everyday, so we’ll just have to do our best...
by Jesica Parsley | Mar 10, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lady Bisons softball team won its second conference series against Florida Gulf Coast University this weekend in Nashville at Draper Diamond. Saturday’s doubleheader was full of nail biting and clutch hitting for the Lady Bisons. Lipscomb won both games. FGCU scored one run in the first game off an RBI single from senior catcher Chelsea Zgrabik. Not much action happened again until the bottom of the fifth inning. Freshman infielder Mimi Cartwright singled to leadoff. Junior outfielder Brianne Welch reached on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore outfielder Brittany Elmore got a bunt single to load the bases. Junior infielder Paige Neely singled up the middle to score Mimi Cartwright and Welch to give Lipscomb the 2-1 lead. The Lady Eagles responded in the sixth scoring two runs off of senior infielder Brittney Garabedian’s single up the middle. Junior outfielder Kelsey Carpenter and freshman infielder Tori Van Camp scored to give FGCU the 3-2 lead. The Lady Bisons tied the game in the bottom of the inning off Elmore’s RBI single to center field. The Lady Eagles took the lead in the seventh after Garabedian hit a solo homerun. However, the Lady Bisons weren’t finished. Senior infielder Kelsey Cartwright knocked a solo homerun with one out to tie the game 4-4. With one runner on base, senior catcher/infielder Haley Elliott hits a pinch-hit home run to give the Lady Bisons a 6-4 victory in game one. Lipscomb senior pitcher Ashley Anderson went all seven innings giving up four runs on five hits while striking out five batters. In game two, Lipscomb got on the board first off an RBI single...
