SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Lincoln softball team and Illinois-Springfield played each other evenly in two games that both came down to the wire on Saturday (April 11). UIS ended up winning both, taking the first game, 4-3, while winning the second in 10 innings, 3-2.

Ann-Marie Simpson recorded her 19th and 20th steals during the first game on Saturday to break the single-season record. That mark was previously held by Jessica Moore, who stole 19 bases in 2010.

Illinois-Springfield (27-11, 11-5 GLVC) opened the scoring in game with a sole home run in the first inning. The Prairie Stars pushed their advantage to 2-0 by bringing in another run on a ground out in the third frame. Lincoln (17-16, 3-11 GLVC) cut the UIS lead in half in the fifth inning, as a fielding error allowed Josie Bezzole to score.

In the top of the sixth, Gracie Wright hit a lead-off single and Kierra O'Rourke moved her to third with a double. That brought Marlee Brown to the plate, who hit an outfield single to score Wright and tie the game at 2-2. That's how the score would stay through the end of the seventh inning, sending game two into extras.

O'Rourke was walked and Abi Jorgensen hit a single to give LU a pair of base runners in the eighth, but a strikeout stranded both players. In the bottom of the ninth, the Prairie Stars got a runner into scoring position, but this time Lincoln struck out a batter to keep UIS off the board. That was one of five strikeouts on the day for Abby Pulliam, who pitched the complete game. In the bottom of the 10th, however, UIS hit a lead-off single and later notched a two-out base hit to score the game-winning run.

Bezzole, Wright, O'Rourke, Brown, Jorgensen and Ella Percival all had hits for Lincoln. Josie Stewart led the Blue Tigers with nine putouts while Wright finished with six putouts and three assists. O'Rourke and Hannah Heisler tallied five putouts apiece and Paige Rees contributed three assists.

In the first game, neither team was able to push a run across the plate until the fourth inning, when Cooper Powell scored on a base hit from Stewart. Lincoln held the lead until the bottom of the fifth, when the Prairie Stars were able to bring in three scores on four hits. 

Rees led the top of the seventh off with a walk and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Simpson to bring Lincoln back within 3-2. Heisler later tied the game by coming home on a ground out from O'Rourke. In the bottom of the seventh, though, Illinois-Springfield led the frame off with a triple and later tallied a single to take the 4-3 lead.

Mallorey Rogers and Jaedin Blankenship each had strikeouts in the circle for LU. Wright and Heisler had two hits apiece while Simpson, O'Rourke, Stewart and TK Lawson each had one hit. Stewart and Simpson both had four putouts while Heisler and Wright were next with three apiece. Wright and Stewart both turned two assists.

Lincoln travels to Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday (April 12) to play Indianapolis in a 12:00 p.m. EDT double-header.