Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Lipscomb Lady Bisons and Alabama-Birmingham Blazers have a lot in common.

The Lady Bisons opened the week ranked 39th in the NCAA RPI. The Blazers are 38th.

Both teams each got one vote for the Top 25 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The Lady Bisons, however, earned 24 points for the Ultimate College Softball Top 25 and five in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25. Alabama-Birmingham did not receive votes in those polls.

The Lady Bisons were challenged by the Blazers, who player in Conference-USA. The Lady Bisons won game one 1-0, but dropped game two 7-5 Tuesday afternoon at Draper Diamond. That loss ended an 11-game home winning streak for the Lady Bisons. It was only their second loss at home this season in 16 games.

The Lady Bisons have already clinched a berth in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and lead with a 14-2 conference record.

The win in the first game ended a four-game losing streak to the Blazers, dating back to the last time the teams met in 2002.

Lady Bisons coach Kristin Ryman wanted to see more intensity from her team in the non-conference doubleheader.

“We can’t base our effort and our intensity level on who we are playing, conference or non-conference,” Ryman said. “It shouldn’t matter. Our intensity effort has to be the same.

“UAB played extremely well. They pitch well. They hit well. That is why they have won as many games as they have and why they are doing well in their conference.”

In game one the Lady Bisons scored the only run of the game in the first inning. Lead-off hitter Lauren Dortwegt reached base on an error by the Blazers third baseman and moved to second on the throw. Abby Keese singled to center field to score Dortwegt.

Whitney Kiihnl pitched her fifth no-hitter and 11th shutout of the season. Her record is 25-2. The shutout was the 24th of the season for the Lady Bisons.