JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team celebrated its four graduating seniors on Saturday (April 27), but the Blue Tigers dropped a pair of games to Missouri Western. LU fell in the opener, 8-1, and lost the second, 12-4.

In between the games, Lincoln held a ceremony to honor its four seniors: outfielder Leslie Callahan, pitcher Paige Rademann, student manager Haily Dudenhoeffer and student assistant coach Blake Scholl.

The Griffons scored on an RBI single in the top of the first inning in the opener, and it remained a 1-0 ballgame entering the fourth inning, when MWSU plated two more runs on a sacrifice fly and an infield single. Lindsey Brandt led the bottom of the fourth off with a base hit into right field, stole second and then reached the plate on single by Kierra O'Rourke. 

That ended up being the only run of the game for Lincoln (13-35, 4-22 MIAA), which had six total hits, including two by Gabby Newman. Maris Ollison and Abbi Conrad also each had a hit while Rademann struck out three batters as the contest's starting pitcher. Taylor Heimbaugh led LU with six putouts, O'Rourke provided four and Newman, Torri Hinnah and Jamilyn Bagby finished with three apiece. O'Rourke, Newman and Rademann each turned assists.

Missouri Western (31-19, 13-13 MIAA) scored two runs in each of the first and second innings in the second contest, but the Blue Tigers cut the deficit down to two in the bottom of the second. After O'Rourke reached on a fielding error, Emily Thompson hit a triple before scoring on a single down the middle by Heimbaugh. Vanessa Cardenas followed with a base hit and both she and Heimbaugh moved into scoring position on a ground out, but MWSU forced a foul out to keep its lead at 4-2.

Neither team scored in the third, but a three-run homer increased the Griffon lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth. A fielding error that put Heimbaugh on base followed by Cardenas' second hit of the contest gave LU two base runners, both of whom scored on a base hit by Conrad. Madi Hampton followed with a hit of her own, but the Griffons held onto their three-run advantage. Missouri Western ended up scoring twice in the fifth inning and three times in the sixth to pull away for the victory.

Mallorey Rogers, Abby Pulliam, Joss Marriott and Kasey Kilburn each pitched for the Blue Tigers and Thompson finished with two hits. Cardenas led Lincoln with six putouts and Ella Percival provided three assists.