KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -
Josie Stewart went 3-for-3 at the plate and
Ann-Marie Simpson had a pair of hits as the Lincoln softball team beat Truman State, 3-2, in the first game of a double-header on Sunday (April 26). The Bulldogs managed to split the twinbill with a 5-1 win in the second contest.
Simpson led the game off with a single, stole second base, then gave the Blue Tigers their first run of the day by scoring on a base hit from Stewart. Truman State (18-30, 10-14 GLVC) hit a home run during its first at-bat of the contest, but Lincoln (22-21, 8-16 GLVC) broke the tie in the third inning. Simpson also opened that frame with a hit and scored on a single from
Faith Jaegers.
Kierra O'Rourke scored what proved to be the game-winning run later in the third when
Reese Smith was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Bulldogs cut the Blue Tiger lead down to one in the bottom of the third, and both teams played shutdown defense the rest of the way. In three of the final four innings, Lincoln forced Truman State to go three-up, three-down. In the other frame, LU caught a TSU runner trying to steal second and prevented the Bulldogs from getting into scoring position.
Simpson stole two bases and Stewart took one. In the circle,
Mallorey Rogers got the win and
Maddie Sechrest earned the save, with both pitchers also notching strikeouts.
Hannah Heisler led LU defensively with six putouts while Stewart and
Josie Bezzole each had three. Jaegers, Rogers and
Ella Percival each recorded two assists.
The Blue Tigers also scored first in game two, with O'Rourke driving in Simpson on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Bulldogs plated two runs on four hits in the bottom half of the inning, then scored in the second, third and fifth frames to hold on for the win. Simpson, Smith and
Gracie Wright each recorded two hits while O'Rourke finished with one.
Stewart led the LU defense in the second game with five putouts. Bezzole was next with four while Wright finished with three putouts and three assists. Bezzole, Smith,
Paige Rees,
Abby Pulliam and
Jaedin Blankenship all had an assist.
Lincoln will play its final two double-headers of the regular season at home, beginning on Saturday (May 2), when the Blue Tigers host William Jewell at LU Softball Field for a 12:00 p.m. CDT twinbill.
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