by Hunter Patterson | Apr 21, 2010 | Sports
Lady Bison coach Frank Bennett and his staff signed three new players last week, forward O’Neisha Smith, center Jessica Reece and guard Haley Nelson. Smith, a 5’11 forward out of Georgia is described as a defensive player who can finish underneath the basket and grab rebounds. She is from the same high school as Lipscomb men’s basketball player Brandon Barnes. In high school Smith was the captain of her team, and was twice selected to the All-Region team. Smith has also competed in the high jump in high school, reaching 5-foot-6 in 2009. She plans to also compete on the track team for the Lady Bisons. “O’Neisha is a very good athlete,” Bennett said. “She was state runner up the last two years in the high jump, and hopes to jump 5-8 or more this year.” “She is developing her skills as a player,” Bennett said of her basketball skills. “She is a left-hander, more of a rebounder or a slasher, or someone that can finish and gets fouled a lot. She adds a lot of quickness and jumping ability that will help us. “In her high school career the team progressed each year, eventually reaching the state tournament in 5A,” Bennett said. “Her team had a lot of firsts during her career. “With her athletic ability we feel that she has a chance to make a lot of improvement when it comes to working on her shooting technique and little things to help her with her game. I feel that she is the type that is very coachable and will develop quickly.” Jessica Reece, a 6-3 center from Fletcher, N.C., was...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 21, 2010 | Sports
The Lady Bisons split with the University of Albama at Birmingham on Tuesday, winning 1-0 and losing 7-5. Video: Whitney Kiihnl on Lipscomb News Lipscomb entered the game with a RPI ranking of 39, UAB was just in front of the Lady Bisons, ranked 38th. As seen in game one, the teams would show one another why they were ranked in consecutive positions. In the first game of the afternoon, the Lady Bisons scored their one and only run of the game via an Abby Keese single that scored senior Lauren Dortwegt. Dortwegt reached base on an error. Lipscomb was blanked for the rest of the game, but sophomore pitcher Whitney Kiihnl made the Lipscomb side feel alright about it. Kiihnl pitched her fifth perfect game of the season, bringing her record to 25-2. The shutout was her 11th of the season. Overall, it was Lipscomb’s 24th shutout of the season. Kiihnl would strike out 10 en route to the win. Game one’s box score can be viewed here. Game two started out completely different for Lipscomb. The Lady Bisons found themselves down 3-0 early on in the game when Christen Campbell allowed three runs on four hits in the first. Lipscomb answered back quickly, though, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second to tie it at 3-3. Courtney Billington scored off of a Christen Campbell double. That was followed by a two-run home run from sophomore Mollie Mitchell. The homer would be Mitchell’s first of two in the game. Campbell was replaced by Alaina Jacobson, who would give up four runs off of five hits. That...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 21, 2010 | Sports
Junior Corey Hale had a career night at the plate, driving in seven runs. The Bisons would fall to Vanderbilt though, losing 13-10. Hale had a double and a pair of home runs, including a grand slam in the ninth, giving him seven RBIs on the night. Andrew Nickerson also had two RBIs. Lipscomb got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first. The Wilson brothers, Tyler and Lee, both got on base. Corey Hale took over from there. Hale put the first fastball that he saw over the center field wall, allowing the Bisons to lead 3-0. However, Vanderbilt wasted no time to take over. In the top of the second the Commodores scored four runs off of freshman starting pitcher Chris Nunn. Nunn threw for two innings, allowing five runs on four hits. Josh Cotham, Blake Fonfra, and Matt Bowling also pitched for the Bisons. Vanderbilt would score three more runs before Lipscomb moved runners across the plate again. Lipscomb scored two in the fourth and one in the sixth, to bring the score to 10-5 after six. Going into the ninth, Lipscomb found themselves down by seven. That is when Corey took control again. With the bases loaded Corey Hale answered the call again, hitting a grand slam over the left field wall. The Bisons did not score again, making the final score 13-10. Vanderbilt relief pitcher Will Clinard was rewarded the save. With the loss, Lipscomb’s record falls to 13-25. The Bisons are back in action again on Wednesday, April 21, as they host UT-Martin at Ken Dugan field. First pitch is at...
by Ashlan Williams | Apr 20, 2010 | News Slider, Sports
A crowd gathered on the roof of the new Allen Arena west parking garage Saturday, April 17, for the dedication of the Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center. The beautiful 2,200-square-foot facility, which promises to be one of the nicest in the Atlantic Sun Conference, offers six state of the art tennis courts, a pro shop, common area, restrooms, and soon to be completed locker rooms for the men’s and women’s tennis teams. The facility also provides two stadium courts located at ground level on the south end. The Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center is the new home of the men’s and women’s tennis teams. In addition to hosting many collegiate tennis matches, the facility also houses the Lipscomb Racquet Club. The Racquet Club offers annual memberships for unlimited use of the courts, a pay-as-you-play option for walk-ins, and junior and adult instructional programs. The Lipscomb Racquet Club has also established a partnership with the Green Hills YMCA, offering special membership discounts for YMCA members. This long-awaited tennis center was generously funded by lead donors, Bill and Myra Huston. Bill Huston, CFO of Southern Care Inc., was a member of the men’s tennis team during his time at Lipscomb. Huston’s hope for the facility is that it would expand Lipscomb’s NCAA tennis program, bringing more competition to the school and adding a new sense of pride in the program. As the dedication ceremony began, Joe Ivey, Senior Vice President of Advancement, gave a welcome to the guests. Everyone was then lead in prayer by Bennie Harris, Vice President of Development. Scott McDowell, Vice President of Student Development, and Phillip Hutcheson, Director of Athletics, offered...
by Jameson Roper | Apr 19, 2010 | Sports
The Nashville Predators hockey team is one of the National Hockey League’s recent fairy tale stories. At a time in the sport where it seems as though only marquee names like Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby gain any attention, the Predators are a breath of fresh air. While the team quietly climbed up the standings eventually to finish the regular season with 100 points, they have done so with a roster comprised of no definitive stars. Since the team’s inception, they have always chosen to draft little-known players and grow them. David Poile, the Predators’ Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, has never been the type to sacrifice a potential talent for a hot player in the short term. The Predators have established a mentality of producing “homegrown” players– players that go through the system and are bred to play a style of hockey befitting to the club. Anyone who watched the Winter Olympics this past February in Vancouver will probably remember the names Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. The Canadian gold medalist and U.S. silver medalist, respectively, received praise from media outlets and analysts after both playing major roles in their countries’ play. Both were drafted and bred within the organization, and have become premier defensemen in the game of hockey. Both are prime examples of the homegrown players, a process this organization has stressed from day one. Despite making trips to the postseason in five of the previous six seasons and consistently being a force within the league, the attendance has suffered. Hockey has always been a hard sell in southern America, especially in...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 18, 2010 | Sports
Lipscomb battled back to take the lead in 8th after being down 7-o earlier in the game, however, FGCU rallied to beat the Bisons 11-9 on Sunday.Just like in all three games of the weekend series with the Eagles, the Bisons were able to score enough runs to win. Allowing runs in the late innings would be where the Bisons struggled. Although the pitchers struggled, both Ryan Wilkins and Zach Messer both had three hits in the game. Wilkins also had three RBIs on the day. Sophomore Davey Hackett started the game for the Bisons. Hackett was coming off a strong performance after shutting out Kenwood. Hacket struggled today though, giving up five runs (four earned) in four innings of work. Hackett was relieved by Chad Fromm and Matt Bowling. Bowling (0-5) was given the loss. After FGCU went up 7-0, the Bisons rallied back to take the lead 9-8 in the 8th. Lipscomb scored two runs in the 5th, followed by a one-run 7th inning. The Bisons scored six in the 8th, three courtesy of a Ryan Wilkins home run. Florida Gulf Coast however scored three runs in the top of the ninth to put the Eagles back on top. Lipscomb was shut out in the bottom half of the inning. The Bisons are now 5-7 in the Atlantic Sun and 12-24 overall. For the box score, click here. For the game story from LipscombSports.com, click here. The Bisons host nationally ranked Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Game time is at 6 p.m. Be sure to come out to Ken Dugan field and cheer on your...
