JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team finished with 14 hits, but Fort Hays State rallied to sweep a double-header against the Blue Tigers on Monday afternoon (April 17). FHSU won the opener, 4-0, and scored three runs in the seventh to take game two, 7-6.

Fort Hays State (27-18, 9-9 MIAA) scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning and tacked on an unearned run in the third, but Lincoln (6-34, 2-20 MIAA) got on the board in the bottom half of the latter frame. After reaching on a fielder's choice, Emma Rakes stole second, and then scored on a base hit into left center by Madison Garcia, pulling LU to within 2-1 of FHSU. Fort Hays State would later get the run back with an RBI single in the top of the fifth.

The bottom of the fifth ended up being a huge inning for the Blue Tigers, beginning with a leadoff single by Qwynn Marquez. Rakes followed with a base hit, and both players scored to tie the game at three on a base hit by Leslie Callahan. Garcia bunted her way onto first, and Callahan later scored on a rare fielder's choice that did not result in an out, giving Lincoln a 4-3 lead. Maris Ollison drove in Garcia during the next at-bat, and Kennedy Schanuth plated Emily Williams on a ground out to make the score 6-3 in favor of the Blue Tigers.

A double early in the sixth followed by a passed ball put Fort Hays State in position to score another run, cutting the LU lead to 6-4 through six innings. FHSU completed the rally in the seventh inning, tying the game on three-straight doubles before bring in the winning run on a fielder's choice.

Callahan, Garcia and Myah Dwyer all had two hits in the second game while Rakes, Ollison and Marquez finished with one apiece. Ashton Stalling allowed just three earned runs as the game's starter and struck out an FHSU batter. Closer Joss Marriott also notched a strikeout. Rakes led the defense with nine putouts and Williams finished with four while Leah Wagner contributed three. Dwyer and Ollison each recorded four assists.

The first game was a scoreless tie through five innings thanks to a great start by Jordan Galliher, as she recorded a strikeout and allowed just two runs, both in the sixth inning on a double. Fort Hays State also scored twice in the seventh inning on a bases-clearing triple. Lincoln had several opportunities to score, but ended up having five runners stranded on the base path, including leaving players on second and third in the bottom of the fifth.

Five different Blue Tigers had a hit in the opener: Rakes, Callahan, Williams, Garcia and Ollison. Rakes had a team-high 13 putouts while Callahan added three and Stalling ended the game with two. Dwyer turned five assists and Ollison recorded four while Callahan contributed two.

Lincoln will return to the road on Thursday (April 20), as the Blue Tigers visit Liberty, Mo. to play William Jewell in a 4:00 p.m. CDT non-conference double-header.