COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Lincoln softball team gave up zero earned runs in a defensive battle against Washburn, but the Ichabods ended up prevailing, 2-1, in the first game of a double-header on Friday (March 25). Washburn ended up taking the second game as well, 12-0.
 
The Blue Tigers struck first in the opener, as a pair of walks issued to Leslie Callahan and Emma Rakes allowed LU to move a runner into scoring position. That brought up Kori Bullard, who drove a liner through the right side of the infield to plate Callahan.
 
The lead held until the top of the fifth, as a walk and an error allowed two Ichabod batters to reach base. After a sacrifice bunt advanced both players, Washburn hit a bases-clearing double to take a 2-1 advantage.
 
Most of the contest was a pitchers' duel, with LU starter Aiden Dayberry striking out six WU batters. The Blue Tigers kept Washburn off the scoreboard in the next two innings, including forcing the Ichabods to go down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. Lincoln nearly rallied in the final frame, with Chloe Olson leading the bottom of the seventh off with a single and Jacqueline Marquez reaching on an error. The Ichabods, however, forced the next three batters out to escape with the one-run win.
 
Alivia Rymer also had a hit for Lincoln (11-12, 0-6 MIAA), and Olson and Wagner each had six putouts while Callahan finished with five and Emily Williams was next with three. Dayberry recorded a team-high three assists.
 
While the first game was a defensive tussle, the second game opened with some offensive fireworks. Washburn (22-11, 4-2 MIAA) took advantage of two hits and a pair of LU errors to plate four unearned runs. The Ichabods had another big inning in the second, as six hits and two more errors allowed WU to increase its lead to 9-0.
 
The Blue Tigers kept Washburn off the board in the top of the third, and got a base runner in the bottom half of the frame as Jordan Hollon reached on a walk. Hollon ended up being stranded, however, and the Ichabods added one insurance run in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
 
Lincoln had some chances to get on the board in the final two innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Rakes notched a single, and Ashton Stalling was issued a walk, placing two Blue Tigers on the base path. In the fifth inning, Hollon hit a two-out triple.

Defensively, Hannah Clark struck out a batter in a relief role, and Marquez led LU with three assists while Callahan was next with two. Olson had a team-high seven putouts.

Lincoln will play at Vogel Field on Saturday (March 26) against Emporia State in a 2:00 p.m. CDT double-header.