Blue Tigers Beat Missouri Southern, 4-3, for First MIAA Win of 2023

By: Lincoln University of Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Lincoln softball team scored four runs in the first inning and held off a Missouri Southern comeback to beat the Lions, 4-3, in the opening game of a double-header on Tuesday (March 14). MSSU won the second game, 7-3.

After forcing the Lions to go three-up, three-down in the top of the first, Leslie Callahan led LU off with a base hit. In the next at-bat, Qwynn Marquez tallied a double that brought in Callahan, and forced an MSSU pitching change. Leah Wagner later drove in Marquez with a single through the right side, and Maris Ollison hit a homer to put LU ahead, 4-0.

Solo homeruns in the second and third cut the LU lead in half, and an RBI double in the sixth pulled the Lions within one. Lincoln (4-14, 1-3 MIAA) stranded nine Missouri Southern (17-6, 3-1 MIAA) base runners in the contest, however, including notching a strikeout to end the fifth inning with two Lions in scoring position. LU used a pair of ground outs to hold a runner at third in the fourth, and stranded MSSU players on second and third in the top of the second.

A fly-out prevented Missouri Southern from scoring the tying run in the sixth, then reliever Ashton Stalling forced MSSU to go down in order in the seventh to earn her first save of the year. Jordan Galliher started the game and pitched 5.2 innings, and got the victory while striking out three batters. Wagner led LU defensively with five putouts and Emily Williams and Myah Dwyer were next with four apiece. Ollison turned two assists.

Lincoln had seven hits in the win, with Callahan going 3-for-3 at the plate. Ollison had two RBI while Stalling also had a hit.