Power, pitching, and timely offense headlined the Lindenwood Lions softball (9-7) 4-0 record at the Lindenwood invite over the weekend. Avery Wapp and Ryleigh Owens dominated in the circle, and Irelynn West came through time and time again at the plate for the Lions. 

Game 1: Green Bay 

Lindenwood avenged their loss to Green Bay from earlier in the season with a 3-2 walk-off victory on Friday. The Lions scored three runs on five hits with two errors while the Phoenix scored two runs on eight hits with no errors.
Avery Wapp threw a complete game in the circle going 7.0 innings, giving up two runs (one earned), eight hits, walking two, and striking out seven.  

It was tough sledding for both teams until the fourth, when the Lions were able to load the bases and get on the board first after a wild pitch from Green Bay pitcher, Genesis Eggart, allowed Theresa Snaidauf to score and give the Lions the 1-0 lead. 

That lead would not even last a half inning as the Phoenix capitalized on a Lions error from Tori Hatton to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth. The Phoenix would take the lead the following inning on an Emma Krueger sacrifice fly. 

Lindenwood would not blink though as they came right back in the bottom of the sixth and tied it at 2-2 as Hatton made up for her earlier error by blasting a hanging pitch deep into left field for her second home run of the season. 

After Wapp got out of a bases-loaded one-out jam in the top of the seventh, the Lions began the makings of their walk-off win. Anna Sanders would lead the inning off with a single and advance to second on a sacrifice bunt from Nicole Henson before West would step up to the plate and lace a pitch into the right-centerfield gap scoring Sanders and giving the Lions a dramatic start to the weekend with the 3-2 win. 

Game 2: Valparaiso 

In the first ever meeting between these schools in softball, it would be yet another pitchers duel with Owens and the Lions coming out on top with the 4-2 win over the Beacons. 

Owens, like Wapp, went the distance pitching 7.0 innings, allowing only two runs on six hits while striking out a career-high seven batters. Dallis Darnell went 2-2 at the plate while Sanders was 1-1 with two RBI’s. 

Neither team would find the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth when the Lions loaded the bases with one out and an RBI walk from Danielle Franz and a two-run single from Sanders gave the Lions a 3-0 lead, a lead they would never give up. 

The Beacons would get on the board themselves in the top of the sixth as after Owens only allowed one baserunner through five innings, Valparaiso loaded the bases with two outs before a two-run single from Mack Gallagher would cut the Lions lead to one at 3-2. Teryn Brown would throw out Lexi Szostak to end the threat after a single from Erin Metz. 

Lindenwood would get a run back in the bottom of the sixth off a Jolie McMinn single before Owens would close out the 4-2 win by inducing three groundball outs in the top of the seventh to seal the win. 

Game 3: Green Bay 

Lindenwood’s offense would explode to open Saturday against Green Bay with a dominant 8-2 win. Four different Lions had multiple hits including: Darnell, McMinn, Henson, and Madisen Noll. 

Owens, fresh off her masterpiece the night prior vs Valparaiso, twirled another gem pitching 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking four and striking out one to earn her third win of the year before giving way to Molly Heidrick, who closed out the win. 

Green Bay struck first in the top of the first on a Paige Hanson RBI fielder’s choice to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead. 

Lindenwood would retake the lead in the bottom of the second when Hensen and Darnell hit back-to-back RBI singles to give the Lions a 2-1 lead. 

Madison Noll would extend the Lions lead to 3-1 after she was able to scamper home on a wild pitch from Phoenix pitcher, Paeton Kringel. Lindenwood would blow the game wide open in the bottom of the fifth when Henson would collect her second hit of the game with an RBI single to third base and extend Lindenwood’s lead to 4-1. Darnell would then lace a ball down the left field line clearing the bases and ending up at third with a triple and extending the Lions lead to 7-1. West would cap off the five-run onslaught with an RBI single scoring Darnell. 

The Phoenix would tally another run in the top of the sixth on a Sidney LaMont RBI single but Owens would escape the jam and Heidrick would set Green Bay down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to complete the 8-2 win. 

Game 4: Valparaiso 

It would be yet another walk-off win for the Lions in their final game of the Lindenwood invite as they gritted out a tough 2-1 win over the Beacons to cap off the undefeated weekend. 

Samantha Roulanaitis pitched the first 2.2 innings before giving way to Wapp who finished the game recording her fourth win of the year after giving up only one hit, walking two and striking out four. 

Valparaiso would strike first off an error from Roulanaitis plating Szostak and giving the Beacons an early 1-0 lead. Sydney McDermott carved up the Lions lineup holding them without a hit until the fifth inning during her 5.0 inning performance giving up one run on two hits while striking out six. 

Noll would record the first Lions hit with two outs in the fifth, placing a nice swing on a pitch, sending it into center field. Lauren Pelton would make the Beacons pay by crushing a pitch into right center, scoring Noll and tying the game up at 1-1. 

Wapp would escape a runner on third with one out jam in the sixth before setting down the Beacons in order in the seventh, setting up yet another dramatic victory for the Lions. 

Hatton would get the rally started with a one out single before Owens came in to pinch run for her. Sanders and Franz would both single as well to load the bases for Madison Noll. The Beacons appeared to escape the jam when Noll grounded into a force out but Brown would step up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded and line a single into right field to give the Lions a 2-1 walk-off win. 

Lindenwood stays home to open up OVC play against Eastern Illinois with a double-header on Saturday, March 8, and the series finale on March 9.