MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Lincoln softball team put up its highest hit total of the young season, but ended up falling to Newman, 9-5, in the final game of the SAU Invitational on Sunday (Feb. 7).

Tori Neienhueser and Macie Kinsey each went 3-for-4 at the plate, with each player, along with Megan Heimbaugh, hitting a double. Heimbaugh finished with two hits on the day while Lauren Stamp, Spencer Silva, Hope McLeod and Avery Myers each had one.

Eight of Lincoln's nine offensive starters got on base, including Kiley Kerr, who twice reached on balls. The Blue Tigers ended up stranding 10 runners on base throughout the game, however, and had three errors while the Jets committed two.

Lincoln (0-5) had an opportunity to strike first, as LU loaded the bags in the second inning. Myers reached on a walk before Kinsey hit her double, and a walk from Kerr filled the bases. A line out and a foul out ended the threat, however, and Newman (2-3) scored the first run of the contest in the bottom half of the frame on a fielder's choice.

The Blue Tigers scored their first runs of the afternoon in the third inning, with Heimbaugh plating both Kinsey and Myers on a double. Kinsey had previously brought in Stamp on a base hit through the left side, and Lincoln finished the frame with a 3-1 advantage. The lead did not last long, however, as Newman brought in four runs on five hits and an LU error in the bottom of the third to go up, 5-3.

With two outs on the board in the fourth, Nienhueser hit her double to jump start the Blue Tiger offense. In the next at bat, Stamp knocked the ball just over the centerfield wall for Lincoln's first homerun of the season, tying the game at five. Silva singled through the middle and a throwing error during Myers' at-bat gave LU runners on second and third, but a ground out ended Lincoln's chances of re-taking the lead.

Newman ended up plating a pair of runs in the fourth on a two-run homer of its own, and later padded its lead with two unearned runs in the sixth. LU had one final chance in the top of the seventh, but Heimbaugh ended up being stranded on second, ending the game.

Kinsey led the LU defense with six putouts while Nienhueser recorded four and Myers finished with three. Stamp added two assists for the Blue Tigers while Jessica Wolken tallied two. Stamp also struck out two Jet batters while starter Sarah Westhoff fanned one.

The Blue Tigers will have two weeks off before resuming the season with six games in the Lady Buff Invite, which will be hosted by West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas from Feb. 19-21.