by Martin Baker | Jan 20, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
With the first game of the season only three weeks away, the Lipscomb softball team is preparing for what has all the looks of a promising season. The team only lost two seniors from last year and retained most of its strengths at the plate and on the mound. “Our speed game is good, as well as having heavy hitters with the likes of Jenna Pealor and Jordan Fortel,” Lipscomb assistant Megan Rhodes-Smith said. “And our defense is strong with players like Peyton Ward at shortstop and Hannah DeVault at second base.” Devault was just voted the ASUN’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. She made only three errors in 2018 and finished the season with an ASUN-leading .983 fielding percentage. Another advantage the team has is the depth of their bench, including of six pitchers. Coach Rhodes-Smith said it’s not typical to have that many on a roster, but that it’s a “good problem to have.” One of those pitchers is a familiar face to Lipscomb Athletics. Chloe Rogers, a former Lipscomb volleyball player, decided to join the softball team for her fifth year playing four seasons for coach Brandon Rosenthal. In their preseason games during this fall, the team went 8-0 against the competition, which included some fellow NCAA Division I schools. Coach Rhodes-Smith said that “the hardest competition is ourselves” and that the toughest offense and defense the team has faced has been their own in practice. However, she did mention that Liberty is new to the conference and will be a somewhat unknown factor and that Florida Gulf Coast has been a tough opponent in the...
by Patrick Carpenter | Apr 29, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
McCarley Thomas and Mimi Cartwright, both Lipscomb softball stars, share many similarities. The young women were rival pitchers in high school, but at Lipscomb, they play with each other. During their senior year in high school, they pitched against each other in the Region 5-AA semifinals. Cartwright (Goodpasture, 18-4) pitched a two-hitter, struck out 14 and walked none while Thomas (Lipscomb Academy, 10-13) pitched a three-hitter, struck out 15 and walked none in her final high school game. Their positions aren’t their only similarities — both were homecoming queens their senior year and have been roommates at Lipscomb the past two years. “We had a mutual friend who said ‘Hey, ya’ll should room together’ and so we met up and here we are,” Thomas said. Since her time on the high school mound, Cartwright has switched positions and is the Lady Bisons’ starting third baseman. Thomas, standing at 5-11, is listed as the third pitcher in the line-up and has seen action in relief several times this season. While there is sisterhood and similarity, the two have different types of personalities. Cartwright said she loves competition. She said she trives off it, and that is obvious. “When I’m challenged to something I just know that I want to win — like I’m gonna win and that’s all I think about,” Cartwright said. During her time at Goodpasture she also lettered in basketball and is known as a pool shark by her close friends. On the other hand, Thomas said she enjoys writing outside of being on the field. “I would much rather just go climb up in a tree and...
by Gemikal Prude | Apr 26, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb softball swept the three-game series against conference foe Kennesaw State with a victory of 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium. The Lady Bisons took a 1-0 win in Saturday’s first game and 13-1 win in the second. During the last home series of the season there was a senior celebration with the class that’s been the most successful in Lipscomb softball history. Seniors Jordan Abell, Paige Neely, Laura Dukes, Brianne Welch and Gracey Aguirre received praise from their teammates and coaches on individual success and how they have positively impacted the team. “I can’t believe this is it,” Welch said. “It’s so hard for me to really believe that this will be the last time I get to suit up with these girls and compete at this field.” “I’ve played this very sport since I was four years old,” Aguirre said. “And these girls — I’ve grown so much with them and because of them, and I know for a fact that they will have a lasting impact on my life.” But the celebrations of the seniors didn’t stop them from coming out to compete in Sunday’s game. Kennesaw was kept far away from home plate, and at the bottom of the third Neely hit a single into left field bringing junior Brittany Elmore in to score. Dukes hit a homer in the next inning to make the score 2-0. In the fifth inning, a throwing error allowed the Lady Owls to reach home to make it a 2-1 score, still in the favor of Lipscomb. At the bottom of the fifth, Aguirre hit Neely...
by Chad Johnson | Apr 13, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
It was almost a perfect conclusion to an already special weekend for the Lipscomb softball team — almost. After winning the first two games of the three-game conference series on Saturday, the Lady Bisons were upended by the North Florida Ospreys 7-6 on Sunday afternoon at Draper Diamond at Smith Field. Despite a late rally in the sixth and seventh innings, the Lady Bisons came up short in the end of the last game. “We did a good job late in the game with runners on, but not early in the game,” Lipscomb coach Kristin Ryman said. “It stinks that six runs is not enough. I think we should have capitalized on some things earlier in the game but we didn’t.” Lipscomb had no problem getting on base, as they recorded nine hits total, but couldn’t quite finish the job when they needed to. “We can’t leave bases loaded twice in the first five innings,” Ryman said. “That was a killer.” Despite the loss on Sunday, Ryman was optimistic about the two wins on Saturday. “We’re at the point of the season where every game matters,” Ryman said. “That is a positive takeaway.” The Lady Bisons were led offensively by senior Paige Neely and freshman Abby Fenichel who each had three hits while junior Baylee Williams added two of her own. Williams and junior Brittany Elmore also led the way with two RBI’s a piece. In the circle, junior Kelly Young was accredited with the loss. She gave up six runs on five hits while striking out seven. On Saturday afternoon, the ending was different in both games. Senior Gracey Aguirre bolted a solo homer over the left-center...
by Gemikal Prude | Apr 8, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
A game that called for extra innings against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga didn’t end up in the favor of the Lady Bisons as they took a 7-4 loss at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium Wednesday night. Lipscomb showed they were ready to play by getting the first three possible outs, leaving the first inning tied. At the bottom of the third, junior Brittany Elmore hit a double bringing senior Brianne Welch home to get things going in Lipscomb’s favor with a 1-0 start. The momentum the Lady Bisons built from defense was answered through their offense, bringing the score 2-1 at the bottom of the fifth. Lipscomb extended its lead 4-1 in the sixth, but the Lady Mocs brought the game to a tie. The innings were left scoreless until the ninth, when the Lady Bisons were back at bat with an opposing score of 7-4 lurking over them. With nine total strikeouts compared to Chattanooga’s one, the Lady Bisons weren’t able to keep the momentum in their favor. Lipscomb softball will hold a “Celebration of 20 Years of Lipscomb Softball” this weekend as they take on North Florida in an Atlantic Sun series. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
