ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team continued its GLVC slate on Sunday (March 22), dropping a pair of contests to Missouri-St. Louis on the road. The Tritons took the first game, 10-0, and won the second, 8-4.

Missouri-St. Louis (13-15, 6-2 GLVC) scored four runs in both the first and final innings of the opener while limiting the Blue Tigers to just one hit, courtesy of Ella Percival. Mallorey Rogers struck out three batters as LU's middle reliever while starter Jaedin Blankenship fanned one. 

Kierra O'Rourke finished game one with a team-high six putouts while Josie Stewart finished with four. Gracie Wright provided three assists and Blankenship, Rogers and Josie Bezzole had one apiece.

The Tritons also struck first in the second game, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the opening frame, but Lincoln (10-9, 2-4 GLVC) got back within one in the top of the second on a solo home run from TK Lawson. A two-RBI single put UMSL ahead, 4-1, in the bottom of the second, but Faith Jaegers hit a sacrifice fly to score Ann-Marie Simpson in the top of the third and bring the Blue Tigers back within two.

After stranding an UMSL runner on second in the bottom of the third, LU's offense got back to work, with a base hit by Percival allowing Bezzole to score Lincoln's third run of the day in the top of the fourth inning. The score remained 4-3 until the top of the sixth, when Wright's hit into center field allowed Percival to score and tie the game.

The Tritons broke the tie with four runs in the bottom of the sixth, however, and kept LU off the board in the seventh frame. Percival went 2-for-2 at the plate in game two and 3-for-3 for the day. Simpson and Wright had two hits apiece while Bezzole also had one. Abby Pulliam struck out a pair of Triton batters and Wright ended the day with four putouts and five assists. Stewart tallied a team-high seven putouts.

Lincoln returns home to host Maryville next Saturday (March 28) in a 12:00 p.m. CDT double-header.