Complete Game Notes
Games #13-14: Lincoln (6-6, 0-0 MIAA) at Nebraska Kearney (10-10, 0-0 MIAA)
Date:  Friday, March 6 at 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. CT
Site: Patriot Park (Kearney, Neb.)
Live Stats:  https://lopers.com/sidearmstats/softball/
 
Games #15-16: Lincoln at Fort Hays State (13-9, 0-0 MIAA)
Date:  Saturday, March 7 at 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. CT
Site: Tiger Stadium (Hays, Kan.)
Live Stats: https://fhsuathletics.com/sidearmstats/softball/
 
Games #17-18: Missouri S&T (3-11) at Lincoln
Date:  Monday, March 9 at 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. CT
Site: LU Softball Field (Jefferson City, Mo.)
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/softball/
 
THE LEAD OFF:  The Lincoln softball team opens its 2020 MIAA slate this weekend with games against Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State, and returns home to face Missouri S&T on Monday (March 9). Lincoln first heads to Kearney, Neb. on Friday (March 6) for a 12:00 p.m. CST double-header against the Lopers, who are 10-10 on the season. On Saturday (March 7), Lincoln visits Hays, Kan. to play two games against Fort Hays State, also starting at 12:00 p.m. CST. On Monday, the Blue Tigers resume non-conference play with a 2:00 p.m. CDT twinbill against Missouri S&T. FHSU is 13-9 on the year while Missouri S&T is 3-11. The Blue Tigers, meanwhile, are 6-6 on the season after sweeping William Jewell in a double-header on Wednesday (March 4).
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Alex Miller has hit two home runs and leads Lincoln with 11 runs scored on 12 hits with nine RBI. Kendra Holt has a team-high 10 RBI on 10 hits, and Emily Williams, who has scored eight runs, is the team's hit leader with 15. Jordan Lawson also has 10 hits on the season while Mykenzie Livesay and Jordan Hollon each have nine. In the circle, Tressa Hughes has struck out 27 batters while Miller has fanned 15. Hughes and Hannah Clark each have two wins.

HEAD COACH CHRISTINE CORE:  Now in her second year as the coach of the Blue Tigers, Core helped Lincoln improve in nearly every offensive category in 2019. Two LU players earned All-MIAA honors under her direction. She took over the Lincoln program after a successful two-year run at Covenant, where she won 45 games.
 
LAST TIME OUT:  The Blue Tigers played four games in the Drury Invitational before a twinbill on the road vs. Lindenwood and a home double-header against William Jewell. Below are brief recaps of those contests:
 
Game 5: DU 9, LU 0:  Tressa Hughes and Ashton Stalling each notched two strikeouts in the circle, but Drury out-hit Lincoln 8-2 to beat LU in its first game of the Drury Invitational on Friday (Feb. 28). Hughes and Alex Miller had Lincoln's hits.
 
Game 6: WJC 11, LU 4:  Lincoln took a 3-2 lead on an error by the Cardinals in the top of the third, but William Jewell scored five in the bottom half of the frame for a win on Friday (Feb. 28). Alex Miller and Tressa Hughes combined to strike out eight WJC batters.
 
Game 7: NU 13, LU 2:  Newman scored five runs in the first two innings and five total runs in the fifth to beat Lincoln on Saturday (Feb. 29). LU was led offensively by Mykenzie Livesay with a pair of hits while Jordan Lawson had an RBI.
 
Game 8: SBU 7, LU 3:  The Blue Tigers out-hit SBU, 7-5, but Southwest Baptist took advantage of a four-run third inning to claim the victory in LU's final game at the Drury Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 29). Emily Williams had a pair of hits while Tressa Hughes had three strikeouts in the circle.
 
Game 9: LWU 7, LU 5:  Lincoln pulled within two on a solo home run by Alex Miller in the top of the seventh, but Lindenwood held on for a 7-5 win in the opener on Monday (March 2). Miller finished with three RBI on three hits, and scored two of the Blue Tigers' five runs. Emily Williams also had three hits, and Kendra Holt and Jordan Hollon scored LU's other two runs.

Game 10: LWU 10, LU 1:  Lindenwood scored four runs in both the third and fifth frames en route to a 10-1 victory over Lincoln on Monday. Emily Williams had two hits for LU, and Kendra Holt drove in the run for the Blue Tigers on a sac fly.
 
Game 11: LU 1, WJC 0:  Ashton Stalling scored the only run of the game and picked up the win with a six-strikeout performance in the circle as Lincoln beat William Jewell on Wednesday (March 4). Payton Good had a hit for LU.
 
Game 12: LU 3, WJC 2:  Jordan Hollon drove in Alex Miller with a double, then scored herself on a base hit by Bekah Kirker to a lead LU would never relinquish in game two on Wednesday. Miller and Hollon each had two hits, and Tressa Hughes struck out seven WJC batters.
 
SCOUTING THE LOPERS:  Nicole Spykstra has a .490 batting average as well as a team-high 23 RBI on 25 hits. Carlee Liesch is next with 24 hits while Alexis Ray has 19. Sarah Handrahan, Erin Hallman and Kelsey Goodban all have two wins.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS:  Fort Hays State is led on offense by Terran Caldwell (.368 average, 21 hits), Katie Adler (22 hits) and Kristen Reed (23 hits, 22 RBI). Alexis Valazquez has driven in 15 runs, and Lily Sale has 16 hits. Michaelanne Nelson (7-3) and Hailey Chapman (5-6) are the top pitchers.
 
SCOUTING THE MINERS:  Olivia Walter has two of Missouri S&T's victories in the circle while the other belongs to Kate Baxter. Abby Klein is hitting .419 and has scored seven runs, Ashley Davis has 14 hits and Olivia Young has seven RBI.
 
ON DECK:  The Blue Tigers head to Bolivar, Mo. on Wednesday (March 11) for a double-header against Southwest Baptist. First pitch of this non-conference twinbill is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CDT.