ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - A seventh-inning rally came up short as the Lincoln softball team dropped a 7-3 decision to Missouri Western in the second contest of its MIAA road-opening twinbill on Tuesday (March 16). LU, which dropped the first game, 8-0, collected 12 total hits on the afternoon.

Three of those hits belonged to Emily Williams, who drove in each of Lincoln's first two runs of the day. In the top of the fifth inning of game two, Leslie Callahan singled through the left side, and then advanced to third on a double by Sara Williams. Emily Williams then lined a ball into left field to plate Callahan.

After Lincoln (3-10-1, 1-3 MIAA) stranded a Griffon runner on third in the bottom of the sixth, the Blue Tigers got back in scoring position in the seventh as a base hit from Sara Williams moved Leah Wagner to third base. Emily Williams drove a ball into the right centerfield for her second RBI of the day, and a single by Alivia Rymer brought in Sara Williams for another LU run.

That ended up being the final run of the night cap, however, as Missouri Western (11-1, 2-0 MIAA) forced the final out to close the game. Home runs in the third and fourth frames helped MWSU build a 7-0 lead before Lincoln began its rally. The Blue Tigers stranded five Griffons on the base path, and pitchers Maddie Welker and Ashton Stalling rang up two strikeouts apiece.

Callahan also had two hits in the second contest while Jacqueline Marquez, Jordan Hollon and Kendra Holt had one hit each. Defensively, Holt led the Blue Tigers with seven putouts, and Callahan turned three assists.

In the first game of the day, Missouri Western scored three runs in the first inning and four in the third en route to the win. Marquez had a hit in the top of the fourth, and Hollon's patience at the plate was rewarded with a walk in the top of the fifth.

Holt and Marquez each were responsible for three putouts in the early game, and Rymer and Hollon tallied two apiece. Callahan recorded two assists while Rymer had one. In the circle, Welker and Tressa Hughes each struck out MWSU batters.

The Blue Tigers are back in action on Wednesday (March 17) as Lincoln heads to Rolla, Mo. to play Missouri S&T in a 1:00 p.m. CDT double-header.