KEARNEY, Neb. - The Lincoln softball team fell in its first two MIAA games of the season, as Nebraska-Kearney swept LU on Friday (March 6), by final scores of 9-1 and 12-4.

In the opener, Lincoln (6-8) cut the Nebraska Kearney (12-10) lead to two in the third inning when Jordan Hollon scored on a ground out by Payton Good. The Lopers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame, however, and tacked on four more in the fifth to take the first game of the twinbill.

Hollon also had a hit in the early game and Ashton Stalling struck out a pair of batters in the circle. Kendra Holt had a team-high six putouts and Jordan Lawson was next with four while Paige Parker finished with two. Hollon additionally tallied two assists.

The second game featured a big offensive performance by the Lopers, as UNK jumped out to an 11-0 lead before Lincoln got on the board in the top of the fifth. The Blue Tigers loaded the bases when Mykenzie Livesay hit a single, Good reached on an error and Sara Williams was issued a walk. A dropped fly ball allowed Livesay and Good to score LU's first runs of the contest.

Another walk, this time issued to Emily Williams, allowed Lincoln to load the bags a second time. Holt then came up big at the plate, driving in Sara Williams and Stalling with an infield single to make it an 11-4 contest. The Lopers ended up sealing the win in the sixth inning with a single following a lead-off double.

Shannon Greene had a strikeout as Lincoln's reliever, and Holt recorded seven putouts while Lawson and Hollon were each responsible for three. Livesay finished with a team-high four assists.

Lincoln heads to Kansas for its next two games, as the Blue Tigers play Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan. on Saturday (March 7) in a 12:00 p.m. CST double-header.