While there were plenty of pitches thrown at Dugan Field this past weekend, one of the most special was thrown by Lipscomb baseball’s most recent addition to the roster.
Brooks Russell, the five-year-old recruit who was signed to the team by baseball coach Jeff Forehand on Feb. 5., was given the honor of throwing the season-opening pitch for the Bisons on Saturday in their season opener against Evansville.
Standing halfway between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, Brooks delivered a toss that received a round of applause.
Kari Russell, Brooks’ mother, said that Brooks is very excited for the upcoming season.
“He’s been super excited, asking about coming to the games,” Kari Russell said. “He really feels like he’s a part of the team.”
“It’s totally boosted his confidence; some of it’s gone to his head a little,” she joked.
While the team battled Evansville, Brooks sat right above Lipscomb’s dugout for much of the game.
The Bisons, however, fell to the Purple Aces 8-2 on Saturday and also lost in their double-header on Sunday, 10-7 and 3-2.
Despite the losses, Kari Russell says that Brooks will forever hold on to the memory of getting to be a part of the Bisons’ team.
“I’m very sure that he’ll remember this for the rest of his life,” Kari Russell said.
The Bisons begin their season 0-3 at Dugan Field, a downgrade from last season’s series opener when the team won two games out of three against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Lipscomb started the game off well on Saturday, but the team could not keep pace with Evansville, which scored four runs in the fourth inning and outplayed Lipscomb the rest of the game.
On Sunday, it was a closer contest for both games. In the first game, the score was 6-5 in favor of Lipscomb at the end of the eighth inning. An inning later, the Purple Aces scored five runs to seal the victory.
In the second game, Lipscomb was only one run away from tying the game, but did not score beyond the fourth inning. The Bisons allowed a run in the eighth inning and another in the ninth.
The Bisons’ will play at Vanderbilt on Feb. 19 next, and then come home again for a three-game stretch.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics