BOLIVAR, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team closed its 2017 campaign on Monday (April 24) as the Blue Tigers dropped a pair of road games to Southwest Baptist. Lincoln dropped the first contest, 9-0, and the second, 8-0.

In the first game, Southwest Baptist scored nine runs on nine hits, including scoring four times in the fourth to end the game early. Jordan Lawson hit a single for LU in the top of the second, and in the third inning, Chelsey Kerr reached scoring position. The Blue Tigers also had base runners in the fourth and fifth frames, with Sarah Westhoff being stranded on second.

Madison Ragar pitched the complete game and struck out three Bearcat batters. Macie Kinsey led LU's defense with six putouts while Ragar tallied a team-high three assists.

In the second contest, Lincoln kept the SBU offense at bay for the first three innings, as the only score in that span came on a fielding error in the bottom of the first. In the fourth inning, however, the Bearcats brought in three more runs, and SBU scored four times in the fifth to close the game.

Kerr and Maci Marshall each got on base in the top of the third for Lincoln's best scoring chance of the game, but a pair of strikeouts stranded both players. Mykenzie Livesay, meanwhile, had a base hit in the top of the fourth. Marshall, Livesay and Tori Nienhueser each had three putouts apiece in game two, with Marshall also recorded a pair of assists.

Southwest Baptist ends the regular season with a 31-19 overall record and a 15-11 mark in conference play. The Blue Tigers, meanwhile, finish the 2017 campaign 5-47 overall and 2-24 in MIAA play.