Middle Tennessee Softball Splits With Lipscomb

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee softball (3-4) split a doubleheader against Lipscomb (5-7) on Wednesday, winning 10-2 and then dropped the second game 2-1.

In the first game, senior hurler Crystal Bobo improved to 3-1 on the mound in a Blue Raider slugfest. Bobo tossed her third consecutive complete game allowing eight hits, two runs and striking out three.

Middle Tennessee jumped on the board early, scoring one run in the top of the first inning. Senior right fielder Jennifer Grybash opened the game with a lead off single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kristine Reed. A single by Jennifer Dorais sent Grybash to third and Grybash scored from a sacrifice fly by Christi Benton.

Lipscomb tied the game in the bottom of the first inning. Candice McWhereter opened the inning with a lead off single and scored from an RBI single by the Lady Bisons Heather Collins.

In the second inning, Middle Tennessee took the lead back scoring two runs. Freshman Brandi Boehner earned a one out walk, and advanced to second on a ground out to the pitcher for the second out. Grybash's single moved Boehner to third and she scored off a wild pitch by Lipscomb pitcher Sara Meek. Dorais' single scored Grybash for the second run of the inning before Lipscomb got the third out of the when the right fielder threw out Reed as she attempted to score.

Middle Tennessee scored a run in the fourth to make it 4-0 when an error by Lipscomb's second baseman scored Leah Grothause from third base.

In the top of the fifth, the Blue Raiders exploded for four runs. Liz Davis drew a walk to start the inning, and after Lipscomb picked up the first out of the inning, Trish White drew a walk as well to place runners at first and second. A pass ball set up the first two runs of the inning as Davis and White moved to second and third. Grothause hit the first triple by a Blue Raider this year and also picked up two RBI scoring Davis and White. Freshman Kayla Sparks' RBI single scored Grothause for the third run of the inning and Sparks scored from a double by Grybash.

Grothause struck again in the top of the seventh inning with her third RBI of the game when she hit a double that plated White. After advancing to third, Grothause scored on a ground out by Boehner.

Lipscomb scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning thanks to back-to-back doubles by Lea Little and McWherter. Little scored from McWherter's double for the Lady Bisons' second run of the game.

Grothause led the Blue Raiders going 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, two runs scored, a double and a triple. Grybash also had a big game, as she was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.

After scoring almost at will in the first game, Middle Tennessee struggled with runs in the second game. The only run for the Blue Raiders came with a bit of trickery.

Davis led off the first inning with a single and advanced to second from sacrifice bunt to move to second, and stole third to put herself in scoring position. White drew a walk with two outs and attempted to steal second and as she was forcing Lipscomb to run her down, Davis scored what would be Middle Tennessee's only run of the game. White was out on the play, after Davis scored, for the final out of the inning.

Blue Raider freshman pitcher Ashley Katinas held Lipscomb scoreless for three innings, but the Lady Bisons came out swinging in the fourth inning. Collins opened the inning with a lead off double and advanced to third when Jennifer Cannon singled. Little struck again for the second time in the double header as she hit a one out double that plated Collins and Cannon to give Lipscomb the lead. It was all they would need to earn the split.

Katinas fell to 0-3 on the year going 5.2 innings, allowing six hits, two runs and striking out six. Bobo tossed a third of an inning to close out the sixth.

Grybash and Davis each went 2-for-3 in the game earning four of the Blue Raider's five hits in the game. Sophomore Candice Littrell, in the designated player position, notched her first hit of the year for the fifth Middle Tennessee hit.

Middle Tennessee returns to action on Friday at the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic in Marietta, Georgia. The Blue Raiders will face Auburn at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

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