EMPORIA, Kan. - The Lincoln softball team racked up 12 hits, including a homerun by Alivia Rymer, as the Blue Tigers defeated Emporia State, 10-5, on Saturday afternoon (April 10). The win gave Lincoln a split in the double-header, as the Lady Hornets had previously won the first game, 8-4.

Rymer's solo shot in the second inning gave Lincoln an early 1-0 lead, and the Blue Tigers tacked on five more runs in the top of the third. Alex Miller found right field for a single that drove in Jordan Hollon, and she and Kendra Holt both scored on a base hit from Rymer for a 4-0 LU lead. Following a pitching change, Leah Wagner hit a double, and then later reached home, along with Rymer, on an Emporia State error.

Lincoln (6-23-1, 3-13 MIAA) would never trail the rest of the way, though the Lady Hornets attempted a comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third and another score in the fourth. LU got back on the board in the top of the sixth, as three-straight hits from Emily Williams, Jacqueline Marquez and Hollon led to another run across the plate.

Later in the frame, a bases-loaded single from Rymer brought in Hollon and Holt, giving Rymer five RBI in the contest. Wagner lined one into centerfield to send home Miller, giving Lincoln its 10th run of the game. The Lady Hornets cut the deficit in half with three doubles in the bottom of the seventh, but closer Shannon Greene forced Emporia State (15-17, 5-9 MIAA) into a fly out to end the game and seal the LU victory.

Rymer had three hits while Wagner, Williams and Marquez each had two. Maddie Welker had a strikeout as the game's starter, and Ashton Stalling earned the win as a middle reliever. Holt had 11 putouts on defense while Leslie Callahan finished with three and a team-high five assists. Hollon and Rymer added three assists apiece.

The Blue Tigers also got off to an early lead in the first game, as a double by Williams plated both Marquez and Jordan Lawson in the top of the first inning. Lincoln got on the board again in the second frame as a single by Callahan drove in Rymer to increase the lead to 3-0.

Emporia State got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second, then scored five runs on three hits and an error in the third inning to take a 6-3 lead. Another run came in on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-3 in favor of the Lady Hornets, but Lincoln would get back within three in the top of the sixth. Hollon reached on a fielder's choice and scored on an error, putting LU back within 7-4.

That's as close as the Blue Tigers would get, however, as Emporia State tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly. Williams led LU with two hits while Stalling, Rymer, Lawson, Callahan and Marquez each had one.

Tressa Hughes started game one in the circle and struck out two Lady Hornets, and Holt led LU defensively with five putouts while Callahan was next with four. Hollon turned five assists.

Lincoln remains on the road on Tuesday (April 13), traveling to Maryville, Mo. to play Northwest Missouri in a 2:00 p.m. CDT double-header.