JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Jordan Hollon hit her second homerun of the season as the Lincoln softball team opened its 2021 home slate with a double-header on Friday (Feb. 26) against Lindenwood. The Lady Lions used a big fourth inning to win the first game, 11-5, while game two ended after six innings due to darkness with a score of 1-1.

In the tie, Hollon's solo homer in the bottom of the second gave Lincoln (1-4-1) an early advantage. Hollon finished the game 1-for-1 at the plate with two walks while Emily Williams, Jordan Lawson and Jacqueline Marquez also had hits for the Blue Tigers.

Lindenwood (3-1-1) had six base runners stranded during the night cap, including one in the top of the third when Lincoln forced a double play. In the fourth inning, an RBI single allowed the Lady Lions to tie the game, but Lincoln forced a foul out to prevent two other runs from scoring. Later, in the fifth, Lindenwood hit a triple, but the Blue Tigers keps the Lady Lions from advancing that runner past third base.

Tressa Hughes pitched the first five innings and allowed only four hits while tallying a strikeout, and Maddie Welker pitched the sixth inning and fanned two Lindenwood batters. Leslie Callahan had a team-high five putouts while Williams, Marquez and Kendra Holt recorded three apiece. Hollon turned two assists.

In the opener, Callahan went 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a hit a double in the second frame that scored both Marquez and Alivia Rymer. Marquez also had a double in the inning that plated Lawson, and a base hit from Williams brought in Callahan to give LU a 4-1 advantage.

Lindenwood scored in the top of the first inning, but was kept off the board until the fourth inning, when the Lady Lions scored the eventual game-deciding runs. Lindenwood took advantage of seven hits to bring in seven runs in that inning, and later scored twice in the fifth for an 11-4 lead. Lincoln got back on the board in the bottom of the seventh, as Payton Good scored on a catcher's interference.

Lincoln had its opportunities in the first game, with Good, Rymer and Lawson also supplying hits, but Lindenwood stranded six Blue Tigers on base. Ashton Stalling started in the circle and Alex Miller had a strikeout in a relief role. Callahan turned five assists and Hollon notched four while Holt led the defense with 12 putouts.

The Blue Tigers will travel to Oklahoma City, Okla. next weekend for the Red Dirt Classic, which will be hosted by Langston at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Lincoln is scheduled to play Baker at 10:45 a.m. CST and Mid-America Christian at 3:15 p.m. CST on Friday (March 5), and Science & Arts at 12:15 p.m. CST and Langston at 4:45 p.m. CST on Saturday (March 6).