JOPLIN, Mo. - The Lincoln baseball team's bat came to life on Saturday (Feb. 6), as the Blue Tigers racked up 16 hits in a double header against Maryville. In both contests, however, the Saints were able to rally from behind, as Maryville handed Lincoln a pair of neutral site losses. Maryville took the first game, 17-6, and won the second, 5-3.

The Saints won the second game in walk-off fashion, using a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to secure the sweep. Lincoln began that game well, with Kolton Clark reaching on an error and eventually scoring on a single from Mason Price. Dillon Walker later came home on a passed ball, and an RBI groundout from Kaleb Davis brought in Price for a 3-0 LU lead.

Lincoln kept Maryville off the board until the bottom of the third, when the Saints hit back-to-back solo homeruns to cut Blue Tiger lead down to one. A third homerun in the bottom of the fourth tied the game, and neither team was able to push a run across the plate again until MU's fourth homer in the seventh.

Price and Mike Million each had two hits apiece, and Million had five putouts to lead the LU defense. Davis recorded four putouts and Clark ended the game with three. Walker, Nick Lovell and Cody Stegemann all had two assists apiece, with Stegemann, who pitched six innings, striking out two Saint batters.

In the opener, Maryville (3-0) plated runs in the first and second innings, but Lincoln (0-3) came back in a big way in the bottom of the second. Zach Anderson and Million led the frame off with base hits, and Jeffery Jackson hit a triple to score both players and tie the game.

Dylan Koehler followed that up by reaching on a walk, and stole second to give LU two runners in scoring position. A bases-clearing double gave Lincoln a two-run lead, and an error later brought home Walker to put the Blue Tigers ahead, 5-2.

It didn't take Maryville long to answer, however, as the Saints took advantage of six hits, including three homeruns, and three Blue Tiger errors to plate 10 runs in the top of the third. Maryville scored three more runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth. Lincoln's only other score came in the fourth, as an RBI single from Davis plated Daniel Castillo.

Million, Price and Walker each had two hits apiece in the first contest while Clark, Castillo, Davis, Anderson, Jackson and Laban Petzoldt had one hit each. Alex Ludwick recorded seven putouts, Davis had six and Million tallied four while Walker turned a team-high four assists. Closer Kyler Lundgrin struck out four opposing batters and Riley Crews fanned three.

The Blue Tigers will remain in Joplin on Sunday (Feb. 7) for one more game against Maryville, scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. CST.