MARYVILLE, Mo. - Alex Miller hit a solo homerun in the top of the second, but the Lincoln softball team dropped a 4-1 decision to Northwest Missouri in game one of an MIAA double-header on Tuesday (April 13). The Bearcats also took the second game, 9-0.

In the opener, an RBI triple followed by a double allowed Northwest Missouri (13-13, 7-7 MIAA) to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Miller's shot over the center field wall allowed Lincoln (6-25-1, 3-15 MIAA) to cut the Bearcat lead in half. Alivia Rymer followed with a double, but the Bearcats forced a fly out to hang on to the slim lead. 

Leslie Callahan led the third inning off with a base hit and stole second, and later took third base on a double steal that allowed Jacqueline Marquez to reach second. Northwest Missouri forced another fly out to strand both runners, however, and took advantage of an LU error to increase its lead to 3-1 in the bottom half of the frame.

Lincoln went on to load the bases in the fourth, with Ashton Stalling recording a base hit, but the Blue Tigers were unable to push a runner across the plate. The Blue Tigers had runners in both the sixth and seventh frames, with Callahan notching her second hit of the afternoon, but the Bearcats, who added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth, kept LU off the scoreboard.

Tressa Hughes pitched the first five innings of the contest and rang up three strikeouts, while Stalling also fanned a Bearcat batter as the game's closer. Kendra Holt recorded nine putouts while Leah Wagner had four. Jordan Hollon led Lincoln with five assists, and Callahan registered three.

In the second game, Hollon had a base hit for LU, but a seven-run second inning allowed Northwest Missouri to earn the double-header sweep. Maddie Welker struck out four batters in the circle, and Holt had five putouts while Wagner again was responsible for four. Stalling tallied three assists.

Lincoln returns to LU Softball Field on Friday (April 16) to host Pittsburg State in a 1:00 p.m. CDT twinbill.