JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team opened its 2019 home slate in winning fashion on Monday (March 11), sweeping Stephens in a pair of games at LU Softball Field. Lincoln shut out the Stars in the opener, 8-0, and took the second game, 12-1, with both contests lasting just five innings.

Mykenzie Livesay had six RBI on the day, including a two-run homer in the second game, part of an 11-run second inning that helped propel LU to the victory. Lincoln had eight hits and took advantage of three SC errors, with Bekah Kirker getting the offense going with an RBI base hit with the bags loaded. Kirker had previously scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Rachael Balke.

Jordan Lawson drove in two more runs on a base hit, and Balke got her second and third RBI of the contest later in the frame with a double down the left field line. Camryn Pryor and Balke scored during the next two at-bats before Tori Nienhueser drove in Emily Williams and Gabi McGinty to make it a 10-1 contest. That set up Livesay's homerun, which closed the scoring for both teams.

Lawson and Williams each had two hits, and Kirker, Livesay and Williams all scored twice. Hannah Hennessy gave up just one unearned run in a complete game effort, picking up the victory while striking out four Stephens (0-8) batters. Defensively, Hennessy had three assists while Pryor and Paige Parker each recorded four putouts. Parker also had a hit in the win.

In the opener, Lincoln (4-14) got its offense going in the second inning, as Nienhueser hit a double to put herself and Williams in scoring position. Livesay then got her first two RBI of the afternoon on a bases-clearing single, then scored herself on a base hit by Kirker. Lawson later hit a triple to drive in Kirker and put Lincoln up, 4-0.

Balke and McGinty scored in the third on back-to-back singles by Williams and Nienhueser, and a sacrifice fly by Livesay plated Williams to make it a 7-0 LU lead. McGinty later scored the game-ending run on a ground out by Livesay in the bottom of the fifth.

Nienhueser, McGinty, Williams and Kirker all had two hits in the home-opening victory, followed by Lawson, Balke and Livesay with one apiece. Shannon Greene registered four strikeouts to earn the win in the circle, and Parker and Pryor both had five putouts. Greene, Nienhueser and Livesay all had two assists.

Lincoln will be at home for its next four games, starting on Saturday (March 16) when LU resumes MIAA play with a 12:00 p.m. CST double-header against Northeastern State.