JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Tressa Hughes rang up 11 strikeouts, but a late rally helped Northeastern State hand the Lincoln softball team an 8-4 loss in the second game of a Saturday (April 3) double-header. The RiverHawks had previously won the first contest, 8-0.

Hughes allowed just two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work, and the Blue Tigers held a 4-2 lead entering the sixth inning. After NSU brought in a pair of unearned runs on a dropped infield fly in the second inning, LU capitalized on some miscues by the RiverHawks in the bottom half of the frame.

Walks issued to Alivia Rymer and Leah Wagner, followed by a hit by Leslie Callahan, allowed Lincoln (4-21-1, 2-12 MIAA) to load the bases with two outs on the board. A fielding error in the following at-bat brought home all three Blue Tigers, and Emily Williams made it a 4-2 LU advantage with a double that plated Jordan Lawson.

The lead held until the top of the sixth, when Northeastern State (19-11, 7-5 MIAA) tied the game on a two-RBI double. An RBI single later in the frame ended up being the game-winning run, and the RiverHawks pushed three more scores across the plate in the top of the seventh.

Callahan and Williams each had two hits for LU, and Kendra Holt and Lawson also had hits. Wagner led the Lincoln defense with nine putouts and Lawson was next with four. Hughes, meanwhile, recorded an assist.

In the first game of the day, Northeastern State relied on strong pitching of its own, holding the Blue Tigers to just two hits, one each by Rymer and Alex Miller. NSU scored at least one run in each of the first four innings, stranding five LU base runners in the process.

The Lincoln pitching staff allowed just six hits in the opener, and starter Maddie Welker struck out two RiverHawks while Miller also had a strikeout in the closing role. Holt had four putouts, Jacqueline Marquez finished with three and Jordan Hollon was responsible for two. Hollon also turned a team-high three assists.

The Blue Tigers will be back at LU Softball Field on Tuesday (April 6) to play a non-conference double-header against Missouri S&T. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CDT.