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Wright SB
4
Winner Middle Tennessee MTSU 18-24
3
Lipscomb LIP 15-24
Winner
Middle Tennessee MTSU
18-24
4
Final
3
Lipscomb LIP
15-24
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Middle Tennessee MTSU 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 4 6 1
Lipscomb LIP 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 5 0

W: CARCICH, Kamryn (12-12) L: Sauer, Courtney (4-7) S: MARTINEZ, Mary (2)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Drops Heartbreaker to MTSU

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lipscomb softball returned home to Draper Diamond on Wednesday for a midweek matchup against local foe Middle Tennessee. The Bisons took a 3-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning but a late surge from the Blue Raiders saw the visitors leave with a 4-3 win.
 
The Purple and Gold opened the game well with starting pitcher Laine Barefoot delivering a strikeout to secure a three up, three down inning to put the Bisons in the batter's box quickly.
 
In their turn at the plate, the Bisons flexed their typical aggressive offense as Kaylyn Belfield knocked a ball towards third base and was grounded out as she headed for first.
 
The following two batters for the Purple and Gold drew four-ball walks to give the Bisons two runners on base but a strikeout against Lauren Griffith and a groundout against Katelyn Belding ended Lipscomb's turn and sent the game into the second inning.
 
Lipscomb's composure carried through into the top of the second inning as the squad combined for another three-batter inning.
 
The Bisons logged a ground out, picked up a smooth line out at shortstop, and turned a hit towards Barefoot straight over to first base for a ground out that ended the Blue Raider's offensive chance in the second frame.
 
MTSU's defense returned the favor for the Bisons to end the second frame quickly, holding the Bisons to a three-batter inning.
 
Lipscomb's squad refused to let up when they were back on defense, however, and the Purple and Gold sent the Blue Raiders away with two putouts and a strikeout after allowing a double in the middle of the inning.
 
The Bisons then kicked it into gear in the bottom of the third as Briyana Wright drew a four-pitch walk to open the inning for Lipscomb.
 
Belfield knocked down a sacrifice bunt to send Wright over to second base, leaving room for Alyssa Hastings to join Wright on base after a fielding error gave her time to find first base and Wright time to advance to third.
 
Hastings then stole second base during Josey Polk's at-bat and the Blue Raiders collected a lineout to put two outs on the board with two Lipscomb runners on base.
 
Graduate student Griffith then drew a four-pitch walk to give the Bisons a bases-loaded opportunity that the squad soon took advantage of.
 
Just three pitches into her at-bat, Belding was hit by a pitch from the Blue Raiders' starting pitcher and advanced all three runners around for Wright to tag home plate and put the Bisons on the board.
 
Elle Smith then drew a five-pitch walk from MTSU's pitcher to advance all three runners around the base path and send Alyssa Hastings across home plate.
 
A ground out for Jack Busch from the Blue Raiders' shortstop ended Lipscomb's time in the batter's box and the game proceeded into the fourth inning.
 
After their productive third frame, the Bisons quickly settled back into defense as MTSU put a runner on base with a walk, but the Bisons pulled down three fly balls to hold off the visitors from Murfreesboro.
 
Lipscomb's squad found their offensive momentum again as the game moved into the bottom of fourth inning.
 
Lauren Higginbotham drew a walk from the Blue Raiders' pitcher to open the inning for the Bisons but MTSU's defense pulled down a pop-up ball from Briyana Wright to hold Higginbotham at first base.
 
Belfield knocked a single towards the Blue Raiders' shortstop and beat the throw to take first base and send Higginbotham over to second base.
 
Hastings then stepped up to bat and sent a single out over MTSU's second baseman to advance the Bisons' baserunners.
 
Higginbotham rounded third base and beat the throw from MTSU's pitcher to their catcher to slide home and give the Bisons a 3-0 lead.
 
As Higginbotham was running home, Belfield rounded the bases behind her and was caught in a rundown by the Blue Raiders' second baseman.
 
The Blue Raiders worked hard to halt the Bisons' momentum with a ground out for Josey Polk to hold the Bisons to a 3-0 lead to end the fourth frame.
 
MTSU's squad stepped up their efforts as the game continued, knocking an out of the park home run off of Barefoot in the top of the fifth to put a run on the board before a two-run out of the park homer in the top of the sixth off of Macey Ogle brought the two squads tied late in the game.
 
Courtney Sauer stepped into the circle in relief for Sauer and helped the Bisons record a ground out from Josey Polk at third base.
 
Another home run from the Blue Raiders took the visitors into a 4-3 lead, but Sauer locked in to deal out a putout on MTSU's next batter to end the Blue Raiders' turn in the box.
 
Busch led the Bisons off to a hot start in the bottom of the sixth, knocking a double into the wall in center field on the very first pitch of the inning.
 
Grace Cassarello stepped in to pinch run for Busch and advanced on to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Lauren Higginbotham.
 
Wright stepped up to the plate and dropped a bunt and reached first base on a fielder's choice but a charging Cassarello was tagged out by the Blue Raiders' third baseman and a pop up ball to MTSU's shortstop from Kaylyn Belfield sent the game into the top of the seventh.
 
The Bisons settled in to hold the Blue Raiders off once more as Sauer delt a three-pitch strikeout and catching MTSU's second batter swinging in a strikeout to open the seventh frame.
 
MTSU looked for signs of life with a single to center field, but the Bisons snuffed it out as a ball knocked towards Polk at third base was sent quickly over to first base for the third out of the inning.
 
Hastings and Polk knocked two consecutive singles to give the Bisons two runners on base with no outs in the bottom of the seventh frame.
 
A popped-up bunt from Griffith put an out on the board for the Bisons but a fly ball to center field from Belding advanced two Bisons' two baserunners into scoring position as her hit was pulled down by the Blue Raiders' centerfielder.
 
Elise Shewmaker stepped in to pinch hit for the Bisons but her hit towards third base was sent over to MTSU's first baseman for the third out of the inning, ending the day's contest in MTSU's favor.
 
UP NEXT
Lipscomb's squad will return to Draper Diamond on Saturday, Apr. 13th for a doubleheader with Queens beginning at 1:00pm CT.
 
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