Box Score 1 | Box Score 2


JOPLIN, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team continued MIAA play with a weather-shifted double-header at Missouri Southern on Monday (March 14), but the Blue Tigers ended up falling in both contests. The Lions held off an LU rally to win the first game, 11-3, and overcame a strong effort by the Lincoln's pitching staff to take the second, 4-0.

In the first game, Ashton Stalling scored for the Blue Tigers on a sacrifice fly by Kori Bullard in the top of the third. Stalling later hit a sacrifice fly of her own, driving in Jordan Hollon, and an RBI triple from Bullard brought in Emma Rakes for LU's third run of the afternoon, with both scores occurring in the fifth inning.

Those runs helped Lincoln (11-10, 0-4 MIAA) cut the Missouri Southern (14-8, 3-1 MIAA) lead down to 7-3, but the Lions added an insurance run in the bottom half of the fifth before ending the game with a big offensive sixth inning. Stalling, Rakes, Hollon and Emily Williams all had hits for Lincoln, as did Bullard, who led the team with two RBI.

Maddie Welker struck out three MSSU batters as Lincoln's closer, and Rakes and Hollon were each responsible for four putouts while Chloe Olson and Leah Wagner recorded three apiece. Hollon, Wagner, Alivia Rymer and Aidan Dayberry each notched an assist.

In the second game, Lincoln's starter Jordan Galliher struck out two batters while relievers Hannah Clark and Stalling fanned one batter apiece. The Lions scored on a base hit in the bottom of the first, but the Blue Tigers kept MSSU off the board afterwards until the fourth inning, when Missouri Southern managed to push three more runs across the plate. Lincoln ended the game with four hits, but stranded five runners on base, including two in the top of the fifth.

Stalling, Bullard, Hollon and Katie Blair had the hits for LU. Olson finished with a team-high seven putouts, and Blair added four while Rakes finished with three. Dayberry and Galliher each turned two assists.

Lincoln will kick off a six-game homestand on Wednesday, March 23 with a twinbill against Quincy in Columbia, Mo. at Battle High School. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CDT.