JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Drury withstood a strong defensive effort by the Lincoln softball team in the first game and used some late runs in the second to sweep the Blue Tigers in a double-header on Tuesday (March 21). The Panther took game one, 3-0, and game two, 8-1.

In the opener, a pair of RBI doubles allowed Drury (14-13) to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. That's how the score would stay until the top of the seventh, when a single through the middle allowed the Panthers to push another score past the plate. Lincoln (2-18) had four hits in the opener while the Panthers finished with six.

Tori Nienhueser had a hit for LU in the first inning, and Kiley Kerr had a hit in the bottom of the third. In the fourth inning, Macie Kinsey hit a double, and advanced to third on a single from Madison Ragar. A groundout, however, ended Lincoln's scoring opportunity.

Ragar pitched the complete game and registered a pair of strikeouts while Kinsey led LU with seven putouts. Mykenzie Livesay was credited with five putouts and Nienhueser provided four assists.

In the second game, Drury used an RBI single in the top of the second to take an early 1-0 lead, but brought in four runs in the fifth inning and three more in the seventh to claim a seven-run victory. Lincoln's score came in the bottom of the fifth, as back-to-back doubles by Jordan Lawson and Maci Marshall allowed the Blue Tigers to cut the Panther lead to 5-1.

Lincoln had other opportunities in the nightcap, starting in the bottom of the first, when Kerr led the game off with a walk. Two consecutive groundouts moved Kerr to third, but she ended up being stranded on base. In the second inning, Lawson hit a triple, but ended up being caught stealing at the plate to keep LU off the board. For the game, Lincoln had four runners left on base.

Sarah Westhoff started game two in the circle and racked up three strikeouts. Kinsey contributed nine putouts while Livesay, Marshall and Kerr each had three. Lawson added four assists.

Lincoln will be back on its home field on Thursday (March 23) for another non-conference double-header, as the Blue Tigers host William Jewell at 2:30 p.m. CST.