Lindenwood softball (13-15, 4-5 OVC) dropped 2/3 games to the Tennessee State Tigers (14-9, 5-3 OVC) over the weekend. Lindenwood won Friday before dropping both games of the doubleheader on Saturday.
Game 1:
Lindenwood took the opening game of the series in come-from-behind fashion in 10 innings, 6-5. Ryleigh Owens got the win, her sixth of the year, after going 5.0 innings allowing one run on two hits with five walks and six strikeouts. She came in relief for Avery Wapp, who started and also went 5.0 innings, giving up four runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Jolie McMinn led the Lions’ offense with three hits and an RBI. Four other Lions had a pair of hits, as Nicole Henson led the Lions with two RBIs.
Tennessee State struck first in the top of the second as after a leadoff HBP, Jasmine Blackburn and JaKeyla McDaniel hit back-to-back run-scoring hits to put the Tigers up 2-0.
Lindenwood would be shut out until the 5th inning when after a leadoff walk by Madison Noll and a single by Mya Bethany, McMinn laced a single through the left side scoring both runners and tying the game up at 2-2.
Tennessee State would load the bases with one out in the top of the sixth before Jace Jackson would crush a bases-clearing double putting the Tigers up 5-2. The Tigers would again load the bases but Owens would be able to escape the jam by striking out Kyra Taylor.
Lindenwood would also load the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, before Bethany drew a bases-loaded walk to plate a run. Henson would follow that up with an RBI single of her own before Irelynn West would cap the rally with a sac fly tying the game back up at 5-5.
Lindenwood would have a chance in the bottom of the eighth to walk it off but with the bases loaded and two out Tori Hatton would ground into a fielder’s choice ending the threat. The Lions would again threaten in the bottom of the tenth as after Noll reached on an error and advanced to third on a double by Bethany, Henson would step up and scorch a grounder at the second basemen bringing home Noll for the winning run giving the Lions a dramatic 6-5 win in the series. The win would be the first win over Tennessee State in softball for the Lions.
Game 2:
Game two was another extra innings thriller, this time with the Tigers edging out the Lions 6-5 in nine innings. Wapp took the loss for the Lions, her fourth of the year, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits, walking one and striking out five. Samantha Roulanaitis got the start for Lindenwood going 4.0 innings, allowing four runs, all unearned, on five hits, with a walk and four strikeouts.
Henson continued to swing a hot bat in game two tallying three hits and an RBI with a walk while McMinn and Hatton each had a pair of hits with McMinn also tallying three RBIs.
Lindenwood struck first in game two in the bottom of the first as Hatton hit a sac fly scoring Henson to put the Lions up 1-0. The Tigers responded in the top of the second getting a run of their own on a single from Hailey Hunt. The Lions would get that run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Henson.
Tennessee State would put up a three-spot in the third on a two-run home run from Onnika Spencer and an RBI single from Alexis Woods. Lindenwood would come right back and put up three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth as after they loaded the bases with two outs McMinn would rip a liner down the left field line for a bases clearing double giving the Lions back a 5-4 lead.
Lucy Pratt would come into the circle for Roulanaitis in the fifth and the Tigers would tie the game up at 5-5 on an RBI groundout from Woods.
Both offenses would go cold until the ninth when the Tigers would strike for three runs on back-to-back RBI triples from Spencer and Anayah Baker-Rowell and an RBI groundout from Woods would put Tennessee State up 8-5.
Lindenwood would try to put together yet another rally as they loaded the bases with two outs and Danielle Franz would come through with a pinch hit two-run single to cut the deficit to one but Noll would come up and get a good pitch to hit but flyout to end the ballgame and give the Tigers a 8-7 win in game two.
Game 3:
Tennessee State would take the rubber match on Saturday afternoon beating Lindenwood 8-5. Owens took the loss for the Lions, her sixth of the year, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up seven runs, five earned, on two hits while walking five and striking out four.
Noll, Henson and McMinn would each tally a pair of hits for the Lions while four different players would have an RBI in the game.
Lindenwood would get on the board first with an RBI walk from West in the bottom of the first but the Lions would strand the bases loaded after Dallis Darnell flew out to shallow left and Bethany lined out to third base.
A McMinn RBI single in the second doubled the Lions lead before the Tigers came back with four runs of their own on a bases clearing double from Jackson who would come around to score on a wild pitch giving the Tigers a 4-2 lead. Lindenwood would come right back in the bottom of the third and put up a trio of runs grabbing the lead back at 5-4.
Tennessee State would outscore Lindenwood 4-0 over the final four innings of play as they would take the third game of the series 8-5 as Kristain Holder pitched 4.0 shutout innings of relief for the Tigers only allowing two hits to claim the series.
Softball will be back in action next weekend, as they head out for a three game series against the SIUE Cougars with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 29 and the series finale on Sunday, March 30.
