NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb softball team lost to the Northern Iowa Panthers 4-3 in a close affair Wednesday afternoon at Draper Diamond.
Despite falling behind 2-1 after the third inning, the Panthers were able to end a five-game skid by scoring three runs over the next two innings.
The Bisons, having returned from the Mardi Gras Mambo Tournament in Youngsville, Louisiana, hosted their first home game this season at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium.
Lipscomb took the lead for the first time in the game after scoring two runs in the third inning. Maci Cunconan, a junior from Warrensburg, Missouri, hit a two-run homer to right field for her first of the year.
Senior Amy Vetula, a native of Canton, Georgia, who singled to left field earlier in the inning, also earned a run on Cunconan’s homer. Vetula would go 2-3 on the day to help the Bisons lead 2-1 after the third.
Starting pitcher Laine Barefoot, who came in at 2-2 on the year, earned six strikeouts in five innings pitched. Following Barefoot, closing pitcher Emily Yakubowski allowed zero runs in her two innings pitched.
Despite Yakubowski’s defensive success as the contest wore on, the Bisons could only score one more run for the rest of the game. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Vetula hit a double to center field, allowing senior outfielder Jessie Brown to tally an additional run.
However, the fourth inning was costly for the Bisons on defense. Daryn Lamprecht and Hailey Sanders, both sophomores for the Panthers, scored unearned runs on a throwing error. At the top of the fifth, the Panthers would take a 4-3 lead they would not go on to surrender when freshman outfielder Mya Dodge homered to left center.
With the loss, the Bisons’ record drops to 4-10. Next up is the Purple/ Gold Challenge held at Draper Diamond, a weekend tournament featuring four teams from four different states.
The Bisons will host Southeast Missouri State and Dayton twice and College of Charleston once across the weekend. Play kicks off with a doubleheader Friday versus Southeast Missouri State at 3 p.m. and Dayton at 5:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics