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 Parker O'Neal | Mar 27, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE- The Lipscomb softball team defeated the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 6-1 on Sunday after splitting the two-game doubleheader against the Eagles on Saturday. Freshman pitcher Kate Peters pitched for the entire game, earning two strikeouts and only allowing three hits on the day. Despite an Eagles’ home run in the third inning to cut the Bisons’ lead to one run, Peters’ performance did not falter as she did not allow another run in the game and improved her record to 2-0 on the season. The team trusted Peters to finish the game and Peters expressed her gratitude for the team to continue her play. “I think [the team] having confidence in me going out there is a really big thing that helps me get ready,” Peters said. “I always have confidence in myself.” Kamrie Rich, a redshirt junior catcher, had an outstanding performance at the plate, tallying two home runs and four RBIs. Lipscomb took the first lead of the game after Rich’s two-run homer in the first inning. Rich extended her mark to five home runs on the season to lead the Bisons on the year. Hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, Elise Shewmaker converted two RBIs off a double in the third inning when a hit to right field resulted in an error for an Eagles’ outfielder. The Bisons’ double would extend the lead to 4-1. Amy Vetula, a senior from Canton, Georgia, recorded one hit and two runs in the game. A day after suffering a threatening injury, Vetula’s presence was met by cheers from the crowd every time she stepped up to the plate. “I definitely...
by CJ Arndt | Mar 27, 2022 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb softball team split the first two games of a series with Florida Gulf Coast Saturday afternoon, registering a 6-4 win and a 5-16 loss at Draper Diamond. The pair of results brings Lipscomb to 12-18 overall and 2-3 in the conference, putting them third in the ASUN West Division. GAME 1 – Lipscomb 6, FGCU 4 Redshirt freshman Laine Barefoot was the first to enter the circle for the Bisons. The Louisburg, North Carolina, native gave up five hits and a walk while collecting one strikeout in her 3.2 innings pitched. After a hard-fought first few innings, the Eagles were able to get two runs across and that ended Barefoot’s day. Offensively, the duo of Maci Cunconan and Presley Leebrick stepped up with two RBIs and a double each. Leebrick went 2 for 3 with one run of her own. Cunconan capitalized on the Bisons’ team rally to put up her hit, going 1-3 for the game. The first three innings were quiet with only two hits by FGCU and none by the Bisons. Both teams played lock-down defense, but neither side was able to capitalize because of good pitching at key points. The fourth inning blew the door wide open for the Eagles with Cana Davis looking down a four-pitch walk. A sacrifice bunt to move the runner followed by a flyout in foul territory threatened to shut down what seemed to be an explosive Eagles offensive attack. A scary moment came for Lipscomb fans as FGCU batter Emily Estroff hit a hotshot through the six-hole. The ball slid between outstretched gloves from Kaitlynn...
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...
