by Hannah Cron | Jul 26, 2021 | Sports
A Lipscomb administrator and veteran of Olympic press coverage said this year’s 2020 Tokyo Games — occurring beneath the shadow of COVID that delayed the competition a year and with strict pandemic alterations in effect — could be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Kim Chaudoin, Lipscomb’s assistant vice president of public relations and communication, covered a variety of events at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and forecasts a likely positive impact as the world takes a step toward recovery in Tokyo. “I mean, they were able to have the NCAA tournament,” said Chaudoin, noting those basketball competitions that were held in a bubble in Indianapolis this year after being canceled in 2020. “I know this is a lot more people, but I hope that they’re able to do it. “But hey, if they survive all that and then the big melting pot of it, then maybe you know it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, we’re all good now.’” The Games feature more than 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics – which were not renamed despite the year-long delay caused by the COVID pandemic – has athletes competing in 339 events across 33 sports. New sports for the Tokyo Games include surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, karate, baseball and softball. While some might consider the Olympics occurrence as a positive step toward normalcy in the unpredictable pandemic, this year’s Games are anything but normal. The city of Tokyo has been in a state of emergency multiple times in the past weeks due to a resurgence of COVID cases. A year ago, if the games...
by Micah Kennedy | Apr 23, 2021 | BREAKING NEWS, COVID-19, News Slider, Sports
Another COVID team quarantine forced a weekend doubleheader between the Lady Bisons and North Dakota Fighting Hawks to be canceled. This is not the first time that the Lady Bisons have had games cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions. There are currently no updates as to if the games will be rescheduled. Considering the season is coming to a close soon and the conference tournament starts on May 7, its tough to find room for rescheduling this late in the season. The team sits at .500 with a 16-16 record, and a 5-7 conference record. There are four games remaining on the Lady Bisons schedule. The team has a one-game stop at Tennessee State University at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, provided it’s not canceled. To close out the season, the team will is scheduled for a three-game home series against Bellarmine with a doubleheader at 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday, May 1, and a single finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 2. Lumination will have more on the cancellations and team schedule once more information...
by Erika Plunkett | Apr 18, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
In a rescheduled matchup from two weekends ago, the Lady Bisons hosted the Liberty Flames, who swept the Bisons, not allowing a run on the weekend. Saturday afternoon senior pitcher Breanna Burke got the start for Lipscomb on the mound and worked all seven innings for the Bisons. Burke only allowed one hit in the first six innings of the matchup, but Liberty took advantage of two errors by the Bisons defense to reach base and score, gaining the advantage and a 1-0 lead . Despite the efficient pitching of junior pitcher Emily Kirby, Lipscomb outhit the Flames, 3-1, through the sixth inning but could not capitalize on their opportunities. In the seventh inning, Liberty’s bats got hot and the Flames scored one run off of three hits, bringing the game to its final score of 2-0. In the second game of Saturday’s action, Liberty picked up right where they left off scoring two runs off of two consecutive walks and a two-RBI single from infielder freshman Savannah Channell. Lipscomb would settle in and not allow another run until the fifth inning when Liberty brought home two more runners via another two-RBI single from Channell. Two additional insurance runs would be added in the seventh inning, and once again the Bisons would be shutout 6-0. Sunday’s action continued in Liberty’s favor, as Burke returned to the mound and allowed a homerun to senior infielder Autumn Bishop on the second pitch of the afternoon. Meanwhile, offensively the Bisons could get nothing going for much of the game. Kirby dominated the mound finishing the afternoon with seven strikeouts in seven innings...
by Spencer Boehme | Mar 8, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
During the early part of the season, Lipscomb softball often travels to various invites in other states and doesn’t play as many home games as they do during the conference slate. But this weekend, the Lady Bisons hosted two teams from the Midwest for an invite held at Draper Diamond. Lipscomb got the better of the weekend, going 4-1 with a sweep of Loyola Chicago and a split with Oakland (Mich.). The Ramblers swept Oakland, while Oakland went 1-3. The Lady Bisons are 9-7, while Loyola drops to 2-9. Oakland is 1-3. Lipscomb opened the weekend with a two-game series Friday. Sophmore Kyndall Crawford led the way with 3 RBIs as the Lady Bisons beat Loyola 5-0. Graduate pitcher Maddie Siemer (2-0) notched the win in a 7-inning game where she struck out six and only allowed two hits. The Lady Bisons capped off Friday night with a 9-4 decision over Oakland before falling to the same squad the following day, 4-2. In the Saturday cap, neither Lipscomb nor Loyola scored until the final sequence of a game that went all the way into the 10th inning. Shortstop Madison Ebeling hit a double that sent Abbey Jacobsen home to give Loyola a 1-0 lead, but Lipscomb scored two runs in the bottom of the tenth. The game-winner came from a double by junior third baseman Olivia Ward, which sent sophomore Presley Leebrick home. Lipscomb capped off the weekend with a 9-1 win over Loyola on Sunday. Both teams were tied at one heading into the bottom of the sixth before Lipscomb run-ruled Loyola with eight in the bottom of...
by Erika Plunkett | Feb 12, 2021 | News, News Slider, Sports
A normal start date is about the only normal thing for the 2021 Lipscomb University softball team. After having their season cut short one year ago, Coach Ryman and her players have had to adjust to a totally different world filled with new COVID restrictions and obstacles to playing the sport they love. “If I would have guessed last year mid-March when all this started initially, I would have thought we would have been done for a couple of weeks, and then they would try to pick back up with things,” said head coach Kristin Ryman. “No one ever envisioned it would be what it has turned into with the pandemic.” The pandemic has wreaked havoc on all facets of life forcing everyone to reshape their outlook on life. “Every day we are out here is a good day,” said Ryman. “Let’s practice that way, let’s enjoy what we do, let’s get to know each other, and take every day as a blessing right now. That’s the biggest thing, but knowing too preparation-wise at a moment’s notice someone could go down and not be a starter anymore. So, for all of the other girls that are working really hard behind them, [they need to be] working every day as if they could be the starter every day.” Although Covid caused many problems for the Lady Bisons, the shortened 2020 season did allow their young roster to mature by getting real game experience that did not count against their collegiate eligibility. “I think a lot of those girls got some key time last year and in a sense looking back...
