JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team had a combined 12 hits in its first games of 2024, but the Blue Tigers lost both games of a home double-header to William Jewell on Tuesday (Feb. 13). The Cardinals won the first game, 8-4, and took the second, 4-1.

William Jewell (4-2) scored in the top of the first inning of game one, but Lincoln answered in the bottom of the second as Mackenzie Graham hit a leadoff double before coming home on a base hit by Torri Hinnah. The 1-1 tie would hold until the fifth inning, as the Cardinals scored three runs on three hits in that frame to retake the lead.

Jamilyn Bagby was issued a walk and later stole second base before reaching the plate on a single by Leslie Callahan in the bottom of the fifth. That cut the WJC lead in half, but a pair of errors helped the Cardinals pad their lead at 6-2 in the top of the sixth. The Cardinals ended up committing three errors in the bottom half of the sixth, allowing the Blue Tigers to load the bases, but a fielder's choice and ground out kept LU off the board.

The fourth error of the contest by William Jewell helped Lincoln tack on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Blue Tigers were unable to complete the comeback. Gabby Newman and Abbi Conrad scored in that final frame and Callahan ended the day with three hits while Conrad and Maris Ollison had one apiece. Bagby and Hinnah tied for the team-lead with five putouts apiece and Conrad was next with four. Ollison turned four assists and Newman totaled three. Paige Rademann and Kasey Kilburn each struck out two Cardinal batters.

In the second game, Mallorey Rogers turned in a strong performance inside the circle, fanning six batters while allowing just two earned runs. One of those scores, however, was a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth that gave William Jewell a 2-0 lead. WJC, which had previously scored on a fielder's choice in the first inning, later had two more players reach the plate on a Lincoln error in the sixth. 

Lincoln out-hit William Jewell, 5-4, in the night cap, with Lindsey Brandt and Mackenzie Graham each hitting doubles. Brandt turned hers into a run thanks to an infield single by Newman in the bottom of the sixth, but that ended up being the only time LU got on the board in the second contest. Callahan and Hinnah also had hits for LU.

Emily Thompson led the LU defense with six putouts, Brandt and Vanessa Cardenas each had four and Ollison provided three, as well as two assists. Newman finished with four assists while Rogers, Thompson and Conrad each had one apiece.