FORT MYERS, Fla. – Lipscomb softball dropped both games of its Saturday doubleheader in the FGCU Invitational in Fort Myers, Florida, stumbling in a non-conference contest against ASUN foe FGCU, 7-2, in the opening game and falling short in a 4-2 loss to FAU in the second game.
GAME ONE | FGCU – 7, Lipscomb – 2
FGCU opened the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the first inning, before extending their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the second inning. The Eagles also scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 7-0.
The Bisons responded in the top of the sixth inning as
Presley Leebrick doubled to left field and later scored on a fielder's choice, off an initial hit by
Josey Polk, to cut into the deficit.
Lipscomb continued to cut into the deficit in the top of the seventh inning as a lead-off walk by
Elise Shewmaker and a single by
Kaylyn Belfield put two runners on with one out. After the next at-bat moved runners into scoring position, Leebrick hit into a fielder's choice to score Shewmaker from third.
FGCU was able to record the third and final out to clinch the non-conference win in the opening game.
Laine Barefoot (0-1) was credited with the loss in the circle for the Bisons, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Emily Yakubowski gave up two earned runs on three hits in 4.1 innings of relief.
FGCU's Claire Maulding and Baylee Haggard gave up a combined two earned runs on six hits in the circle for the Eagles.
Leebrick and
Joie Giarrizzo both recorded doubles in the loss, with Shewmaker going 2 for 2 from the dish with a run scored.
GAME TWO | FAU – 4, Lipscomb – 2
The Bisons opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Belfield and Leebrick both hit singles to open up the game for Lipscomb and
Kamrie Rich followed those hits up with a single of her own to right field that scored Leebrick from third.
After the score remained 1-0 for the next three innings, FAU scored four runs on five hits in the top of the fifth to reclaim the lead.
Meghan Kline responded in the next half inning by hitting her third career homerun in the bottom of the fifth to cut into the deficit.
FAU held the Bisons to only one final hit in the bottom of the seventh inning by Kline to clinch the non-conference win.
Kate Peters (0-3) was credited with the loss in the circle in the second game, allowing four earned runs on eight hits in four innings of work. Barefoot did not allow a run on only five hits in three innings of relief.
FAU's Gabby Sacco gave up only two earned runs on six hits in seven innings for the Owls.
Kline paced the Bisons from the plate by going 2 for 3 with an RBI, while Belfield, Shewmaker, Leebrick, and Rich also registered hits in the later game.
UP NEXT
The Bison will close out the FGCU Invitational tomorrow morning, taking on Middle Tennessee at 8 a.m. in Fort Myers.
