This past weekend the Lindenwood softball team began conference (OVC) action against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at the Lou Brock Sports Complex.
Saturday saw the Lions play in a doubleheader against the Panthers, the first game did not go the Lions way as they fell to EIU 11-0 in only five innings. Lions pitcher Avery Wapp suffered the loss in the game, her third loss of the season. Wapp threw three things and gave up five runs in her three innings of work.
The fourth inning saw Lions pitcher Samantha Roulanaitis enter the game to try and slow down the Panthers’ offense, however, she had three runs put up against her in the fourth.
The last inning of the game saw the Lions bring in Molly Heidrick who also surrendered three runs in her inning of work making the score 11-0 at that point.
The Lions could not get anything going at the plate in this game which led to the game being called early due to the run rule. Jolie McMinn went 2-2 at the plate, while Irelynn West, Teryn Brown, and Dallis Darnell all added hits in the game for a total of five.
Game two of the doubleheader was a nice bounce back for the Lions in what ended up being a pitcher’s duel between the Lions’ Ryleigh Owens and the Panthers’ Karlie McKenzie. Owens threw a complete game for the Lions (7.0 innings) and McKenzie threw 6.1 innings for the Panthers.
The Panthers hot bats came back early in game two, as they put up a run in the top of the first inning. However, in the fourth, the Lions responded and tied the game thanks to a West home run to right field. In the top of the fifth, the Panthers would get their lead back on a homerun of their own by Kendall Grove. West would once again tie the game with a single up the middle to score Brown.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Lions would walk off the game thanks to a throwing error by Panthers pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi, and split the doubleheader by winning 3-2.
The third game of the series saw the Lions lose by a final score of 5-0. Owens was back in the circle for the Lions throwing 4.1 innings and only allowing one run.
Wapp would come in relief and give up four runs, three of them were earned in the seventh inning to wipe out any chance of a comeback.
The Lions only had one hit in the game, and that came off the bat of West.
With the series loss, the Lions are now 10-9 (1-2) on the season. The Lions are back in action at the Lou Brock Sports Complex against Evansville on Wednesday March 12th in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
