Complete Game Notes
Games #37-38: Lincoln (11-25, 3-15 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (17-19, 3-11 MIAA)
Date:  Friday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: https://fhsuathletics.com/sidearmstats/softball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers
Site: Fleharty Family Field (Hays, Kan.)

Games #39-40: Lincoln at Nebraska Kearney (14-23, 2-12 MIAA)
Date:  Saturday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: https://lopers.com/sidearmstats/softball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers
Site: Patriot Park (Kearney, Neb.)

THE LEAD OFF:  Four road games await the Lincoln softball team this week as the Blue Tigers travel to Kansas and Nebraska. On Friday (April 12), Lincoln visits Hays, Kan. to face Fort Hays State in a 1:00 p.m. CDT twinbill. On Saturday (April 13), the Blue Tigers head to Kearney, Neb. to play a double-header against Nebraska Kearney, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CDT. Lincoln split a twinbill with Newman last Friday (April 5), with LU's win being an 11-1 decision in five innings for the Blue Tigers' first run rule victory over an MIAA opponent in eight years. The Blue Tigers dropped a pair of games to Central Oklahoma on Saturday (April 6). 

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Abbi Conrad leads the Blue Tigers with a .364 batting average, 39 hits, 24 runs and nine doubles. Leslie Callahan, a .272 batter, has 28 hits on the season to go with 22 runs and six doubles. Maris Ollison has batted in a team-high 19 runs and has 25 hits while Mackenzie Graham, who has 24 hits on the year, has 13 RBI. Gabby Newman is next with 22 hits, Torri Hinnah has 18 hits and 11 RBI and Kierra O'Rourke is batting .265. In the circle, Paige Rademann has four wins and Mallorey Rogers has struck out 36 batters.

HEAD COACH JASON OLLISON:  A 2000 grad of Lincoln University and an All-MIAA baseball player with the Blue Tigers, Jason Ollison in now in his second year as the head coach of the Lincoln softball team. In his first season, Ollison guided the Blue Tigers as they transitioned from playing games an off-campus site to playing on a brand new surface at LU Softball Field. Ollison is his second stint working at LU, as he served as the baseball team's hitting coach in 2001-02.

LAST TIME OUT:  A brief review of Lincoln's recent games:

Game 33: NU 3, LU 0:  The contest was scoreless until the top of the fifth, when a two-out error allowed Newman to score the game's only three runs as the Jets beat Lincoln, 3-0, last Friday (April 5). Gabby Newman and Taylor Heimbaugh each had hits for LU, and Mallorey Rogers struck out four while Abby Pulliam fanned one as the pair combined to allow just six hits and zero earned runs. 

Game 34: LU 11, NU 1:  Taylor Heimbaugh, Maris Ollison and Abbi Conrad each had two hits as the Blue Tigers rolled to an 11-1 win over Newman on Friday (April 5). LU had 11 hits and Lindsey Brandt, Emily Thompson and Conrad each had two RBI as Lincoln scored four runs in both the second and third innings. Paige Rademann struck out two batters and gave up just five hits to earn the win in the circle. 

Game 35: #8 UCO 8, LU 0:  Central Oklahoma, which was ranked No. 8 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II poll, scored eight runs on seven hits to beat the Blue Tigers, 8-0, on Saturday (April 6). Kasey Kilburn struck out two batters while Joss Marriott fanned one.

Game 36: #8 UCO 6, LU 1:  Lincoln out-hit UCO and led 1-0 through three, but a dropped fly ball allowed the Bronchos to score their first runs of the contest en route to a 6-1 victory on Saturday (April 6). Torri Hinnah went 3-for-4 at the plate and Emily Thompson had an RBI.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS:  Fort Hays State hits .278 as a team, with Peyton Shepard leading the program with a .398 average, 49 hits, 23 runs and a .460 on-base percentage. Loren Beggs, who is batting .318, has 34 hits and a team-high nine RBI while Alondra Dominguez has 31 hits, 14 runs and 14 RBI. Sarah Tiffany has 31 hits while Carly Stuke and Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson each have 15 RBI. In the circle, Savanah Egger is 9-9 with a 2.40 ERA and 101 strikeouts. Morgan Schmidt is next with four wins and a 3.83 ERA.

SCOUTING THE LOPERS:  Madeline Janssen and Daniella Morillas have combined for 13 of Nebraska Kearney's 14 wins in the circle as the Lopers have a team ERA of 5.35. Offensively, UNK is led by Mary Chvatal, a .368 batter who has 39 hits and 31 runs on the season. Leading the team in RBI is Rylyn Nelson with 27 on 31 hits, and Eden McNally has 29 hits and 16 RBI. Gianna Galli also has 16 RBI on 24 hits and Abbie Jo Gaube has scored 15 runs on 19 hits.

DOUBLE UP:  The Blue Tigers have turned 16 double plays, an average of 0.44 per game that leads the MIAA and ranks 20th in the country. LU rates 22nd nationally in total double plays as well as second in the conference. On offense, Lincoln has hit 41 doubles and is ninth in the league with an average of 1.14 per game.

GOES TO 11:  Lincoln beat Newman 11-1 on April 5 to win in five innings thanks to the run rule, which ends a game once a team has at least an eight-run lead through five full innings. This marked the first time LU won a game via the run rule over an MIAA opponent since 2016, when the Blue Tigers beat Lindenwood, 13-4.

ON DECK:  Lincoln steps out of MIAA play for four games next week. On Wednesday (April 17), the Blue Tigers host Truman State at LU Softball Field for a 2:00 p.m. CDT double-header. Lincoln then travels to Rolla, Mo. on Friday (April 19) for two games vs. Missouri S&T at 12:00 p.m. CDT.