Complete Game Notes
Games #13-14: Lincoln (3-8-1, 1-1 MIAA) at Missouri Western (9-1, 0-0 MIAA)
Date:  Monday, March 15 at 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. CT
Site: Griffon Softball Field in St. Joseph, Mo.
Live Stats:  https://gogriffons.com/sidearmstats/softball

Games #15-16: Lincoln at Missouri S&T (0-10)
Date:  Wednesday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. CT
Site: Missouri S&T Softball Field in Rolla, Mo.
Live Stats:  https://minerathletics.com/sidearmstats/softball

Games #17-18: Fort Hays State (6-8, 0-0 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date:  Friday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. CT
Site: LU Softball Field in Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats:  https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/softball

* - Opponent Records as of 3/12/21

THE LEAD OFF:  Six games in five days awaith the Blue Tigers next week, as the Lincoln softball team has four MIAA contests and a non-conference double-header on deck. On Monday (March 15), the Blue Tigers play their first league road twinbill, as LU travels to St. Joseph, Mo. to take on Missouri Western, with first pitch scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CDT. On Wednesday (March 17), Lincoln takes a step away from conference play to visit Rolla, Mo. for a 1:00 p.m. CDT double-header against Missouri S&T. Finally, on Friday (March 19), the Blue Tigers return to LU Softball Field to host MIAA rival Fort Hays State in a 1:00 p.m. CDT twinbill.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Seven LU starters are batting better than .250, led by Jacqueline Marquez with a .448 average and 13 hits. Emily Williams, who is hitting .364, and Jordan Lawson, a .343 batter, each have 12 hits, while Jordan Hollon is batting .269 and has eight RBI and seven runs on seven hits. Leslie Callahan has scored six runs on 10 hits while batting .270, and Alivia Rymer (.290) and Kendra Holt (.273) have nine hits each. In the circle, Tressa Hughes has struck out 15 batters and has a win, and Maddie Welker has two victories while Hannah Clark and Shannon Greene each have saves.

HEAD COACH CHRISTINE CORE:  Now in her third year as the coach of the Blue Tigers, Core helped Lincoln improve in nearly every offensive category in 2019, and in 2020 led LU to its highest win total since 2013. 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:  Lincoln played four games in the Red Dirt Classic on March 5-6, and opened MIAA play at home vs. Nebraska Kearney on March 9. Below are brief recaps of those contests:

Game 7: Baker 10, LU 1:  After falling behind 3-0, Leslie Callahan got Lincoln on the board in the third by hitting a lead-off triple and scoring on a ground out by Jordan Lawson. The Wildcats added six runs in the sixth inning, however, to beat LU in the first game of the Red Dirt Classic on March 5.

Game 8: CMU 9, LWU 1:  Central Methodist scored three runs in each of the second, third and fourth innings en route a win over Lincoln at the Red Dirt Classic on March 5. Jordan Lawson scored on a Jordan Hollon double for LU's run.

Game 9: LU 12, Langston 2:  The Blue Tigers drove in four runs in the top of the first and seven more in the seventh to top Langston on the second day of the Red Dirt Classic on March 6. Tressa Hughes struck out seven Langston batters to earn the win, and Jacqueline Marquez went 5-for-5 at the plate with a triple. Lincoln tallied 15 hits in the win, including three by Kendra Holt, who had three RBI. Emily Williams and Alivia Rymer had two hits apiece.

Game 10: McPherson 2, LU 0:  The only runs of the game came in the bottom of the first, when McPherson drove in two runs on a base hit. LU was held to just a single by Jacqueline Marquez as the Bulldogs won the final game of the Red Dirt Classic on March 6. The contest was called after the top of the sixth because the tournament had reached its pre-determined time limit.

Game 11: LU 6, UNK 5:  Lincoln opened MIAA play with a win on Tuesday (March 9), tallying 13 hits to beat Nebraska Kearney at LU Softball Field. Alivia Rymer hit a double to bring in the first two runs of the game for LU, and Lincoln scored four times in the fifth. The Blue Tigers also stranded eight UNK base runners, including four in the final two frames. Rymer had three hits and Maddie Welker got the win while Shannon Greene recorded a save.

Game 12: UNK 10, LU 1:  Leslie Callahan scored on a base hit by Jordan Lawson to tie the game at one in the first inning, but Nebraska Kearney had 12 hits en route to a win on Tuesday (March 9). Maddie Welker struck out three Lopers as LU's closer.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS:  Sydney Rader (4-0) and Kaili Hinds (3-0) lead an MWSU rotation that boasts a team ERA of 1.80. Offensively, the Griffons are led by Sydni Hawkins, who owns a .568 batting average and leads Missouri Western with 21 hits and 16 runs. Chloe Armstrong has a team-high 14 RBI on 13 hits.

SCOUTING THE MINERS:  Maddy Passolano is Missouri S&T's top hitter, owning a .346 batting average with nine hits and five RBI. Taylor Caton has hit five doubles while Elizabeth Vlox and Bryn Wooldridge are the only other Miners with as many as five hits. Missouri S&T has a team ERA of 11.10.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:  Four FHSU players are batting over .300 as Fort Hays State bats .270 as a squad while allowing opponents to hit .230. Loren Beggs (.366) has 15 hits, Sara Breckbill (.348) and Sarah Tiffany (.314) each have a team-high 16 hits, and Grace Philop (.311) has seven RBI. FHSU has a team ERA of 2.22.

ON DECK:  The Blue Tigers travel to Liberty, Mo. next Wednesday (March 24) to play two games vs. William Jewell at 3:00 p.m. CDT.