JOPLIN, Mo. - Mykenzie Livesay had three hits and Kiley Kerr tallied two, but Missouri Southern swept a double-header against the Lincoln softball team on Saturday (April 14). The Lions held off the Blue Tigers for a 4-1 victory in the first game, and won the second contest, 11-4.

An RBI single gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the opener, but neither team was able to push a run across the plate until the bottom of the fourth, when Missouri Southern (21-24, 8-11 MIAA) scored three runs on a pair of hits. Lincoln (5-35, 0-20 MIAA) mounted a comeback in the seventh inning to avoid the shutout.

Camryn Pryor got on board in the final frame on a fielder's choice, and advanced to second on a base hit by Chelsey Kerr. An error allowed Madison Ragar to get on board, putting Emily Williams, the potential tying run, at the plate. Williams delivered with a single through the middle, allowing Pryor to score, but a pop-out and a groundout allowed the Lions to hold on for the win.

Livesay and Jordan Lawson each had hits, and Alyssa Schulte struck out three Lion batters. Pryor led the LU defense with seven putouts. Rachael Balke had a team-high six assists while Tori Nienhueser added three.

In the second game, Missouri Southern scored twice in the opening inning and drove in three more runs in the third, but Lincoln used a big fourth inning to get back in the ballgame. Kiley Kerr scored LU's first run on a base hit from Livesay, then a single from Pryor in conjunction with an MSSU error allowed both Livesay and Lawson to come home. Williams then cut the Lion lead down to 5-4 with a double that plated Pryor.

It remained a one-run ballgame until the fifth inning, when the Lions used five hits to score three runs. Missouri Southern later scored three more runs in the sixth inning to seal the victory.

Kiley Kerr and Livesay each had two hits while Balke and Lawson each had one, and Ragar had a strikeout in the circle. Pryor had eight putouts while Schulte added three and Lawson added two. Nienhueser led the Blue Tigers with three assists, followed by Livesay and Schulte were next with two apiece.

Lincoln will be back on the road on Sunday (April 15), as the Blue Tigers travel to Pittsburg, Kan. to take on Pittsburg State in a 1:00 p.m. CDT double-header.