KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Key hits by Alivia Rymer and Alex Miller helped the Lincoln softball team out-duel William Jewell for a 4-2 road win in the first game of a twinbill on Tuesday (April 12). The Cardinals ended up coming back to win the second game, 4-2.

The opener was scoreless until the top of the third, when a base hit by Emma Rakes with two outs on the board jumpstarted the LU offense. Leslie Callahan was issued a walk, and Rymer drove in Rakes with a single through the middle to break the 0-0 tie. An error helped Callahan move into scoring position, and she later reached the plate on a passed ball for Lincoln's second run of the afternoon.

William Jewell answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, but Lincoln retook the two-run advantage in the fifth inning when Rakes scored on a wild pitch. After the Cardinals cut the deficit down to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Miller drove in Callahan on a double in the seventh to provide a big insurance run for the Blue Tigers.

Aidan Dayberry pitched the complete game and struck out five WJC batters, including two in the bottom of the seventh to help seal the win for LU. Callahan, Jacqueline Marquez and Jordan Hollon also had hits for Lincoln, and Leah Wagner led the defense with six putouts while Rakes and Chloe Olson were each responsible for four. Hollon additionally had a team-high three assists.

An RBI from Rymer also helped Lincoln (12-27) get on the board in the third inning of game two. After William Jewell (12-26) opened the scoring with an RBI double in the bottom of the first, Lincoln tied the score in the top of the third when a sacrifice bunt laid down by Rymer allowed Callahan to score. The game would remain deadlocked at 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth, when the first three WJC batters all reached base and scored, making it a 4-1 contest.

Callahan opened the sixth inning off with a double, but LU would not get back on the scoreboard until the seventh frame. LU loaded the bases on three-straight singles from Hollon, Kori Bullard and Marquez, the last of which drove in a run to cut the Cardinal lead down to two. William Jewell managed to force a pop out and a ground out, however, to keep Bullard and Marquez on the base path.

Jordan Galliher opened the game in the circle and struck out four, while Ashton Stalling also notched a strikeout as LU's closer. Bullard and Callahan both had two hits, and Olson and Wagner each had one. Wagner also led Lincoln with seven putouts, and Rymer was next with six, while Marquez and Hollon each had two assists.

The Blue Tigers travel to Kearney, Neb. on Friday (April 15) to resume MIAA play with a 2:00 p.m. CDT double-header against Nebraska Kearney.