ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team enjoyed some of its best pitching of the season, but late runs helped Lindenwood hand the Blue Tigers a pair of losses on Tuesday afternoon (March 30). Lincoln dropped the first contest, 4-0, and the second, 1-0.

LU's pitchers combined to strike out nine Lindenwood players, with Maddie Welker fanning five in a complete game effort during the night cap. Welker gave up just five hits and had a shutout going through six frames before a base hit went deep enough into right field to bring in a player from second base in the bottom of the seventh for the only run of the contest.

Jordan Lawson had two hits for Lincoln, including a double in the top of the sixth. Lincoln also had a runner in scoring position in the second inning, as Alex Miller got on base after being beaned by a pitch, then took second on a sacrifice bunt from Alivia Rymer.

In the opener, Miller struck out four Lady Lions while reliever Ashton Stalling forced the only batter she faced to hit into a double play. Miller also carried a shutout through three innings, but Lindenwood struck first with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth. After bringing in a second run in that frame on a base hit, Lindenwood added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two insurance runs for the eventual four-run win.

Lawson, Jordan Hollon and Jacqueline Marquez each had hits for Lincoln in Tuesday's opener. Defensively, Kendra Holt led the Blue Tigers with 14 putouts on the afternoon, and Leah Wagner was responsible for four. Between the two games, Hollon, Rymer and Miller tallied three assists apiece, while Holt and Bekah Kirker each had two.

The Blue Tigers return home on Friday (April 2) to host Rogers State at LU Softball Field in a 1:00 p.m. CDT double-header.