JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team opened its 2026 campaign in winning fashion, as the Blue Tigers swept a pair of home games against Stephens on Sunday (Feb. 15). Lincoln took the opener, 7-2, and scored some late runs to take the second contest, 4-1.

Jaedin Blankenship only allowed two hits while striking out a pair of batters during the first 4.1 innings of Sunday's first game. Mallorey Rogers got the save, and the Blue Tigers finished with a 12-4 advantage in hitting. Hannah Heisler led LU with three hits while Ann-Marie Simpson, Gracie Wright and Faith Jaegers had two apiece.

Heisler hit a double in LU's first at-bat of the season, then scored on a wild throw. Wright plated Simpson on a base, then returned to the plate on a double by Jaegers, giving the Blue Tigers a 3-0 lead at the end of the first frame. 

Simpson drove in Josie Stewart in the bottom of the fourth to give the Blue Tigers a four-run advantage, but Stephens (1-5) went to work in the fifth inning, hitting a pair of doubles to help the Stars cut the LU deficit down to 4-2.

That was as close as the Stars would get to evening the score, as Paige Rees hit a double in the bottom of the sixth to bring in Heisler before scoring on a base hit from Simpson. A single by Wright drove in Simpson for the final score of 7-2.

Lincoln went 4-for-4 on stolen bases in the first game, which also featured hits by Stewart and Reese Smith. Stewart led the Blue Tigers with eight putouts while Wright finished with four purouts and three assists. Ella Percival tallied five assists and three putouts and Josie Bezzole turned three assists.

In the second game, it was Stephens striking first, as the Stars hit a lead-off single in the top of the third before scoring on a dropped fly ball. It didn't take the Blue Tigers long to even the score, as an error by Stephens allowed Rees to safely reach base. She later tied the game when Simpson hit an infield single.

The score would remain 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth, when a fielding error that allowed TK Lawson to reach base led to an offensive flurry for the Blue Tigers. Reese Smith hit a two-out double to plate Baley Rackers, who entered as a pinch runner, for what proved to be the go-ahead run. Back-to-back singles from Brooklyn Smith and Simpson scored Abi Jorgensen and Rees, respectively, to give LU a three-run cushion heading into the seventh. The Stars hit a double, but Lincoln prevented Stephens from getting back on the scoreboard.

Simpson went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI while Abby Pulliam struck out six to earn the victory in the circle. Maddie Sechrest picked up the save after pitching in the final inning. Rees led LU with six putouts, Bezzole provided five and Jaegers notched four. Percival finished with two assists.

Up next for Lincoln is the Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kan., where the Blue Tigers will play six games between Friday and Sunday (Feb. 20-22).