HAYS, Kan. - Lincoln pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, but the Blue Tiger softball team dropped a pair of road games to Fort Hays State on Saturday (March 7), both by 8-0 scores.

Ashton Stalling fanned seven for LU in the opener, but Fort Hays State (15-11, 2-2 MIAA) took advantage of three errors and 11 hits to take the contest. Lincoln (6-10, 0-4 MIAA) stranded seven runners on base, advancing players to second in both the second and sixth innings, but FHSU managed to keep the Blue Tigers off the board.

Mykenzie Livesay had a double while Kendra Holt and Payton Good also had hits, and Paige Parker led LU with eight putouts while Holt finished with three. Livesay turned two assists.

In the second game, the two teams played scoreless softball until the bottom of the third, when FHSU pushed a run across the plate on a base hit into right field. Fort Hays State was able to blow the game open in the fourth, however, scoring seven runs, including three on a homer over the left field fence.

Lincoln had base runners in four of the game's five frames, including in the top of the fourth, when Holt was hit by a pitch before taking second on a sacrifice play by Alex Miller. Jordan Lawson and Jordan Hollon each had hits for the Blue Tigers, and Tressa Hughes racked up five strikeouts in the circle. Good led LU with six putouts, and Emily Williams finished with four.

The Blue Tigers return home on Tuesday (March 10) for a non-conference double-header against Missouri S&T. First pitch from LU Softball Field is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CDT.