JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln baseball team wrapped up its season series with William Jewell with two games on Saturday (April 12) and one on Sunday (April 13). Below are recaps of those contests.

WJC 8, LU 4
The Blue Tigers took the lead in the fifth, but a big sixth inning allowed William Jewell to take the opener on Saturday. 

The Cardinals scored in the first inning on a double steal, then took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third on an RBI double followed by a sacrifice fly. Lincoln got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the third, which started with Chase Morris hitting a double. An error later moved Morris to third before Miguel Padron brought him home on a sacrifice fly.

The score remained 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, when Jayden Little gave the Blue Tigers a one-run lead on a home run that also plated Mac Biggs and Andy Sreboski IV. Lincoln had the chance to add to its lead, as, in the next two at-bats following the homer, Padron hit a double and Easton Stuckenschneider hit an infield single. LU would go on to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the threat.

William Jewell tied the game early in the sixth inning on a ground out, then preceded to score four more runs on three-consecutive hits. Andy Sreboski had a hit in the bottom half of the sixth and Isaiah Figueroa singled in the seventh, but WJC kept LU off the board.

Figueroa finished with two hits while Jacob Zahner and Carter Otto combined to strike out seven WJC batters. Little led LU with eight putouts and Stuckenschneider supplied seven. Zahner finished with a team-high four assists.

WJC 9, LU 8
Lincoln once again had a late lead, but William Jewell rallied to sweep Saturday's double-header.

The Blue Tigers faced a 3-0 deficit entering the bottom of the third, but launched a two-out rally take a three-run lead. Sreboski, who was issued a walk, scored on a base hit by Padron. After an error allowed Stuckenschneider to safely reach base, Ty Ollison drove the ball hard into right field to bring in Padron. Blythe Blakey followed by hitting a home run, plating himself, Stuckenschneider and Ollison for a 5-3 LU advantage. Morris then hit a solo shot over the left field fence to make it 6-3 at the end of the inning.

Padron opened the fifth with a base hit, Stuckenschneider singled and Ollison laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position. Blakey picked up his fourth RBI on a ground out that brought in Padron, and Stuckenschneider made it an 8-3 affair when he returned to the plate on a base hit by Morris. It was the Cardinals' turn to rally, however, as WJC pulled back within two on a three-run homer in the top of the sixth. Later in the inning, WJC tied the game on a two-RBI single before taking a 9-8 lead on a two-out base hit.

Morris and Padron each had two hits while Canon Feist struck out three Cardinals. Little posted seven putouts and Padron and Ollison were each credited with three. Blakey turned three assists and Morris turned two.

WJC 4, LU 1
Ryan Lepper had one of his best pitching performances of the season, but William Jewell held off the Blue Tigers for another win on Sunday.

Lepper struck out nine William Jewell batters and issued just one walk while pitching the first seven frames of the contest. Otto finished the game and also notched a strikeout. The game was scoreless entering the third inning, but WJC brought in two runs to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Cardinals scored on a fielder's choice in the sixth inning and on a double in the eighth inning while maintaining a shutout until the bottom half of the penultimate frame.

In the bottom of the eighth, Lincoln took advantage of several William Jewell miscues to get on the scoreboard. Sreboski reached on balls, took second after Little was hit by a pitch and later scored on an error. The Cardinals turned a double play to end the inning, and Lincoln was retired in order in the ninth, leading to the 4-1 final score.

Sreboski and Figueroa each had hits and Stuckenschneider led the defense with 10 putouts. Little provided six putouts and Jacob Schulte finished with four. Stuckenschneider additionally supplied two assists.

Lincoln closes its home slate this week with four games against Quincy. The Blue Tigers host the Hawks at Vivion Field on Thursday (April 17) at 4:00 p.m. CDT. The teams will meet for a double-header on Friday (April 18) at 12:00 p.m. CDT before closing the series with one more 12:00 p.m. CDT game on Saturday (April 19). Those dates and times are subject to change in the event of rain.