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Softball Mark McGee

Bisons Head To Liberty For ASUN Championship Quaterfinals

LIPSCOMB at LIBERTY
Where: Lynchburg, Va. - Liberty Softball Stadium
When: May 7-8
Watch: ESPN+ Friday Game 1 available here
           ESPN+ Friday Game 2 available here
Live Stats: Friday Game 1 available here
                Friday Game 2 available here
                Saturday (if necessary) available here

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Tournament time is often magic time for teams.

Lipscomb softball coach Kristin Ryman would like to wave her magic wand over her team this weekend as the Lady Bisons open ASUN Tournament play. The Lady Bisons are the defending ASUN champion having won in 2019.

"The message to this team is to just fight…fight to see another pitch, fight for one more at bat, fight for every single out," Ryman said. 'That is what we are working towards right now.

"There are no negative results that can come out of fighting. We know what we are capable of. We have to play smart. We have to play aggressive. We have to play clean defense."

The No. 4-seeded Lady Bisons will face top-seeded Liberty Friday in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium. The Northern Division quarterfinal is a best of three.

Lipscomb is 17-16 overall and finished 5-7 in conference play. Liberty is 37-12 overall and 16-2 in the ASUN.

The Lady Bisons have won their last three games. The Flames have won 16 games in a row and are 19-3 on their home field.

Lipscomb lost a three-game series to Liberty by scores of 2-0, 6-0 and 4-0 at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium this season. But they enter this series with several question marks in terms or personnel due to injuries and Covid-19 restrictions.

"We know what we are up against," Ryman said. "We know Liberty is a great team. They are a deep team. And we know we are down some people right now.

"The reality is you fight, or you say your season is over. To me, when I think about it that way, it is an easy decision. You go and you compete."

Lipscomb is led in pitching by Breana Burke with a 12-7 record and a 1.95 earned run average. She has struck out 87 batters in 125.2 innings.

Three Lady Bisons are batting at the .300 level – Amy Vetula (.336), Caitlin Turner (.327) and Kamrie Rich (.320). 

Liberty is led at the plate by Kara Canetto with a .395 average. Amber Bishop is batting .358 with 15 home runs and 39 runs batted in. Autumn Bishop is hitting .338 with 17 doubles.

Emily Kirby has posted an 11-4 record with a 1.98 ERA. She has 118 strikeouts in 102.1 innings. Karlie Keeney is 14-4 with a 2.23 ERA.

Liberty leads the ASUN in hits (378), RBI (236) and home runs (37).

"We are the underdog, and we know it," Ryman said. "That is O.K. We have done some really cool things as an underdog in the past.

"This is May. For softball May is a magical time. You never know what can happen."
 
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Players Mentioned

Amy Vetula

#1 Amy Vetula

OF
5' 6"
Sophomore
Caitlin Turner

#2 Caitlin Turner

IF/OF
5' 3"
Junior
Kamrie Rich

#16 Kamrie Rich

C/IF
5' 8"
Redshirt Freshman
Breana Burke

#8 Breana Burke

P
5' 4"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Amy Vetula

#1 Amy Vetula

5' 6"
Sophomore
OF
Caitlin Turner

#2 Caitlin Turner

5' 3"
Junior
IF/OF
Kamrie Rich

#16 Kamrie Rich

5' 8"
Redshirt Freshman
C/IF
Breana Burke

#8 Breana Burke

5' 4"
Graduate Student
P
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