TOPEKA, Kan. - Playing its fifth and sixth games in three days, the Lincoln softball team tallied 14 hits, but dropped two hard-fought games to Washburn on Monday evening (April 19). WU pulled away late in the first game to win, 9-3, and the Ichabods took the second game, 4-2.

Washburn jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the opener, but Lincoln cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth. Jordan Hollon and Leslie Callahan were issued walks, and Jordan Lawson drove in Hollon on a base hit into left field. Alex Miller later pulled the Blue Tigers to within 4-2 on a base hit that scored Callahan.

Lincoln kept the Ichabods off the board in the bottom of the fifth, but Washburn brought in five scores in the sixth to take control of the game. The Blue Tigers brought in one more run in the seventh, as Hollon hit a lead-off double before scoring on a ground out by Lawson.

Miller and Callahan each had two hits, and Kendra Holt had one. Ashton Stalling notched a strikeout in the circle, and Holt had seven putouts while Hollon turned three assists. Callahan and Alivia Rymer each had two assists.

In the second game, a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first gave Washburn a 1-0 lead, and WU plated scores in the third and fourth frames for a 3-0 advantage. Miller led off the fifth inning with a home run, and the Blue Tigers pulled within one with two more scores in the sixth. Lawson opened the frame with a double and later scored on a passed ball.

A solo homerun gave Washburn the 4-2 final score. Lincoln had seven hits, including two by Jacqueline Marquez and one each by Callahan, Rymer and Stalling. Maddie Welker struck out four Ichabods in a complete game effort, and Marquez and Holt each had four putouts while Lawson finished with three. Callahan turned three assists.

Lincoln will travel to Rolla, Mo. on Wednesday (April 21) to play Missouri S&T in a 1:00 p.m. CDT double-header.