Softball sweeps Saturday doubleheader with walk-off and strong pitching

Saturday, March 5

Draper Diamond

12:30 PM

Lipscomb University

5-12

College of Charleston

5-14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Charleston	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	5	7	2
Lipscomb	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	1	6	12	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Dayton	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	6	1
Lipscomb	3	0	1	0	0	0	X	4	4	1

Softball sweeps Saturday doubleheader with walk-off and strong pitching

3/5/2022 7:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

NASHVILLE – Lipscomb softball swept its Saturday doubleheader to on day two of the Purple & Gold Challenge, beating Charleston 6-5 in extra innings before taking care of Dayton 4-1 at Draper Diamond to end a six-game slide.

The Bisons (6-12) trailed by four runs in the first game before racking up five runs on six hits in the third frame to take their first lead. Then after the Cougars tied it back up, Lipscomb walked things off in the bottom of the eighth to get the win. In game two, the scoring continued early with three runs in the first, but from there the pitching was lights out and tossed six scoreless frames.

GAME ONE: LIPSCOMB 5, CHARLESTON 4
The Cougars wasted no time in attacking Lipscomb's freshman hurler Makayla Veneziale as the first four batters reached to start the game, one of them a RBI-single. After a line out and a sacrifice, Charleston loaded the bases on a walk, ending the day for Veneziale. She was replace by another freshman, Kate Peters, who allowed a RBI single on the first at-bat to go down 3-0, but came back to get out of the jam.

The Bisons finally got the offense rolling in the third as Kelly Paulson singled down the line with one out. Two batters later, Presley Leebrick drilled a double to bring in Paulson and get the Bisons on the board. Then Maci Conconan took a 1-2 count and blasted a 2-run shot over the fence in center to bring the Bisons to within 4-3. It was her second homer in as many days.

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Cunconan with a 2?-run tank over the fence in left??

It's now 4-3 Charleston and we're still batting ??#IntoTheStorm?? | #HornsUp?? pic.twitter.com/pVRfgkzYG2
— Lipscomb Softball (@LipscombSB) March 5, 2022

Kamrie Rich followed with a single, and then Elise Shewmaker doubled down the line in left before Kyndall Crawford walked to load the bases. Kaitlyn Woodside ripped a hotshot back off the pitcher and reached base safely, allowing Rich to score and knot the score at four. Joie Giarrizzo was then was hit by a pitch, bringing in Shewmaker to give Lipscomb its first lead at 5-4.

BISONS ON TOP??

Woodside singles to the pitcher to drive in a run and Giarrizzo gets plunked to bring in another.

LIP 5, COC 4#IntoTheStorm?? | #HornsUp?? pic.twitter.com/hZwKxf7RWs
— Lipscomb Softball (@LipscombSB) March 5, 2022

Charleston pulled the game even in the top of the sixth after a leadoff walk and a wild pitch put a runner 60 feet from home. A ground ball out on the next at-bat gave them their fifth tally.

Lipscomb nearly took a lead in the bottom of the sixth after an error allowed Paulson to reach to lead off the inning, followed by back-to-back singles from Vetula and Leebrick, but Paulson was tagged out at the dish after a perfect throw was made from the center field fence. The Bisons popped up and flied out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the eighth, playing international tiebreaker rules, Jessie Brown was the pinch-runner at second to start the frame. After an error put runners on the corners, Paulson dropped a single down the line in left, just over the head of the third baseman, allowing Brown to slide head first across the dish for the game-winning run.

?? She dropped it just in side the line! Ballgame, Bisons! ?? pic.twitter.com/HI0M5ZXpTx
— Lipscomb Softball (@LipscombSB) March 5, 2022

Peters picked up her first collegiate win after tossing 7.1 innings in relief. The victory was well deserved after coming in and shutting down an offense that put up three runs in the first. She allowed just one earned run on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Leebrick, Shewmaker, Woodside and Paulson all recorded two hits, while Cunconan led the team with two RBI.

GAME ONE: LIPSCOMB 4, DAYTON 1
Lipscomb's offense continued to rake in the first inning of game two. It all started with one out, when Leebrick poked a ball over the wall in left center for her first homer of the season. Cunconan and Rich followed with back-to-back walks before Crawford laced a single up the middle, plating Cunconan. After a stolen base from Crawford and a walk from Giarrizzo, Kaitlynn Hunt drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Bisons a 3-0 advantage.

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— Lipscomb Softball (@LipscombSB) March 5, 2022

They added to that lead in the third frame when Paulson singled up the middle to bring Giarrizzo around from third after singling herself, bringing the score to 4-0.

B3 | @kellyannpaulson with a worm burner up the middle to score Giarrizzo from 2nd to make it 4?-0? Bisons??#IntoTheStorm ?? | #HornsUp?? pic.twitter.com/koteKxFLIT
— Lipscomb Softball (@LipscombSB) March 5, 2022

Lipscomb's Laine Barefoot was strong for the Bisons and tossed a complete game. She improved to 3-3 on the year after allowing just a single run on six hits across seven innings. She didn't walk anyone and struck out one.

The Bisons totaled just four hits in the game, but made two of them count with runners in scoring position. Three of the four runs were driven in from the bottom four in the lineup. Hunt drew three walks, while Giarrizzo drew two.

UP NEXT
Lipscomb will close out the Purple and Gold Challenge Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. start time against SEMO. The game was moved up due to weather moving into the area.