The Central Missouri Jennies did their best to ruin Senior Day for the Lincoln softball team.
But after the Jennies won the first game of a doubleheader at Lincoln Field, the Blue Tigers salvaged the day with a victory in the nightcap.
In the opener, Central Missouri used a six-run fifth inning to capture an 8-5 victory.
All of the game's scoring was done in the third and fifth innings.
After the Jennies got two in the top of the third, the Blue Tigers struck back with four in the bottom half.
Sam Kircher started things with an RBI single before Clair Lorenz, one of five Lincoln seniors honored, drove in one of the other runs. Also for the Blue Tigers, Erin Sommerer had a sacrifice fly and Kelsey Hight drove in the final run with a bases-loaded walk.
After Central Missouri took an 8-4 lead in the top of the fifth, Lincoln got its final run in the bottom half on an RBI single by Joey Bunch, another senior.
Kircher and Bunch led Lincoln on offense with two hits and one RBI apiece. Kristina Hein, another of the team's seniors, rapped out two hits.
Clair Lorenz (8-5) threw a complete game while taking the loss. She allowed seven earned runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out five.
It was another senior, Starr McLeod, who made sure the Blue Tigers wouldn't lose the second game of the day.
McLeod threw a four-hitter and provided all of Lincoln's runs as the Blue Tigers won 2-1
That helped the Blue Tigers get a win despite being outhit 4-2.
The one run McLeod allowed was earned, and she struck out one and walked one.
She also gave the Blue Tigers all the runs they would need when she smacked a two-run homer in the second inning. That scored the Blue Tigers' final senior, Brianna Akers, who had singled to start the inning.
The split put Lincoln at 13-16-1 overall and 5-11 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Central Missouri is now 18-18 and 8-10.
The doubleheader wrapped up the home portion of Lincoln's schedule. The Blue Tigers return to action Wednesday in a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Missouri Western, the beginning of 12 road games to end the season.