WICHITA, Kan. - The Lincoln softball team had the lead through 3.5 innings in its opener against Newman on Saturday (April 8), but the Jets rallied to take the first game of the double-header, 11-4. In game two, Lincoln fell to Newman, 7-0.

After a scoreless first inning, the Blue Tigers got on the board first in game one, as, in the second inning, Maris Ollison drove in Emma Rakes on a base hit into left field. Rakes opened the frame with a single and took second on a wild pitch before reaching third after tagging on a pop fly. The Jets took advantage of a lead-off triple in the bottom of the second, however, and scored on a ground out to even the game at 1-1.

Lincoln (4-30, 1-17 MIAA) got back on top in the third, with Leah Wagner putting the Blue Tigers up 2-1 by scoring on a ground out by Myah Dwyer. Wagner opened the inning with an outfield single, stole second, and arrived on third after Qwynn Marquez laid down a sacrifice bunt. Lincoln stranded a Newman (13-27, 3-9 MIAA) runner on second in the bottom of the third, but LU was held to just a base hit in the top of the fourth.

Newman began its rally in the bottom half of the fourth, tying the game on a double steal before taking a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly. Lincoln would tie the score back up in the fifth, however, as Wagner scored for the second time on an attempted double steal. It wouldn't take the Blue Tigers long to knot the score up again, as Emily Williams batted in Ollison in the top of the sixth. Newman scored seven runs on seven hits in the bottom half of the six, though, and kept LU off the board in the seventh.

Lincoln had eight hits in game one, including two apiece by Ollison and Wagner. Rakes, Dwyer, Williams and Leslie Callahan had the other hits, and Ashton Stalling struck out a batter as Lincoln's reliever. Rakes had a team-high six putouts, Williams finished with four, Dwyer added three and Ollison tallied two. Callahan turned four assists while starting pitcher Jordan Galliher ended the game with two.

One big offensive inning made the difference again in Saturday's second game, as Newman plated six runs in the opening frame to take control of the ballgame. Kennedy Schanuth doubled in the second inning while Imani Lambert-Butler reached second in the third on a base hit from Dwyer. Lincoln's best opportunity to score came in the seventh, with Callahan leading the inning off with a base hit into right field. A sacrifice bunt laid down by Hailey Dudenhoeffer allowed Callahan to take second, and an error moved her to third.

Wagner led the defense with six putouts, followed by Dwyer with four and Schanuth with three. Katie Blair, meanwhile, tallied two putouts and an assist. Audrey Rowe had a team-high four assists, and Wagner added three while Dwyer finished with two.

Lincoln will visit Quincy, Ill. on Wednesday (April 12) to play Quincy in a 1:00 p.m. CDT non-conference double-header.