JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Jordan Lawson had three had Kiley Kerr posted two, but the Lincoln softball team dropped its first two MIAA games of the season to Northwest Missouri at LU Softball Field on Friday afternoon (March 9). Northwest Missouri took the first game, 9-1, and the second, 11-1.

Lawson went 3-for-4 at the plate in the opener and scored on an RBI double from Chelsey Kerr in the bottom of the fourth. That cut the NWMSU lead, which had stood a 2-0 following a pair of first-inning runs, down to one, but Northwest Missouri (8-6, 2-0 MIAA) responded in the fifth inning. A pair of RBI doubles brought in a pair of runs, and the Bearcats scored again on a Lincoln (3-11, 0-2 MIAA) error to take a 5-1 advantage. A sacrifice fly in the sixth and two homeruns in the seventh rounded out the scoring.

Rachael Balke, Emily Williams and Camryn Pryor each had hits for Lincoln, and pitchers Madison Ragar and Alyssa Schulte each notched two strikeouts. Tori Nienhueser led the Blue Tigers defensively, accounting for five putouts and a team-high four assists. Paige Parker finished with six putouts and Williams recorded four.

In the second game, Northwest Missouri took control of the game early, plating four runs in the top of the first on five hits. Kiley Kerr, who had two of LU's three hits in the night cap, got on base via a single in the bottom half of the first, and then scored on an NWMSU error following a base hit by Nienhueser. The Bearcats scored at least one run in each of the four remaining innings, however, while holding the Blue Tigers to just one hit.

Delayne Patton pitched the complete game while Balke and Pryor tied for the team-lead with four putouts apiece. Nienhuser supplied three assists.

The Blue Tigers will be back at LU Softball Field on Saturday (March 10) to host Missouri Western at 1:00 p.m. CST.