The Lipscomb softball team improved its record to 9-10 after winning against Southern Illinois 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium.
Lipscomb started slow after having a long break between games. In the first inning, the Bisons had two wild pitches that were a big key to the two runs scored by the Salukis.
“After having a long layoff you never really know how your team is going to react,” Lipscomb coach Kristin Ryman said. “We didn’t let the first inning dictate the whole game.”
Lipscomb answered back with an RBI as a result of a sacrifice fly by senior Gracey Aguirre. The Bisons tied the game in the bottom of the second with another sacrifice fly by senior Paige Neely.
It was not until the bottom of the sixth when junior Baylee Williams broke the tie with a solo home run.
“I really want to win for my teammates,” Williams said. “I wasn’t going up there looking for a home run. I was just wanting to get a base hit.”
Ryman said it was important to get clutch hits like Bailey’s on a regular basis. “As a team we try to go up to the plate and make something happen,” Ryman said. “I think if we do that consistently we are going to be okay.”
Southern Illinois was aggressive in trying to score runs, but could only manage to pick them up in the first inning. The Salukis had an interesting way to deliver signs to batters at the plate.
Ryman said Southern Illinois team looked at their wristbands every time they stepped out of the box.
“It is a signal,” Ryman said. “We actually do the same thing, we just don’t do it every pitch.”
Ryman said this is becoming a popular way for coaches to relay signals to their players without worrying about them being noticed.
The Lady Bisons softball team will look to improve their record this weekend as they travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to play in the Hyatt Place Invitational. The team will face Missouri, North Carolina State, Longwood, Binghamton and Fordham.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics