JOPLIN - The Lincoln University softball team used a late-game rally in the first game of a doubleheader to record a split with Missouri Southern on Friday.
In the opener, the Blue Tigers scored a run in the top of the eighth to pull out a 4-3 victory.
In the deciding frame, Shantae Duren and Jessica Wolken had back-to-back singles with one out before Amanda Coffelt walked to load the bases. Sam Kircher then rapped a sacrifice fly to right field to score Duren.
The Lions got the tying run to second base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but a popup ended the game.
Lincoln started the scoring in the game with a two-run second inning, as one run scored on a wild pitch and the other came in on an error.
Missouri Southern cut the lead to 2-1 after five innings before a busy sixth.
Lincoln got a run in the top of the frame as Kircher drove in a run when she reached on an error.
The Lions then tied it at 3 with two runs in the bottom of the stanza.
Clair Lorenz got the victory, throwing a complete-game five-hitter to improve to 9-6 on the season. All three runs were earned and she allowed just one walk while striking out seven.
No Lincoln player had multiple hits in the contest.
In the second game of the day, the Blue Tigers managed just six hits in a 5-0 loss to the Lions.
Brianna Akers went 2-for-3 and was the only Blue Tiger with more than one hit in the game.
Missouri Southern got a run in the first and four runs in the fifth to account for all of the game's scoring.
Starr McLeod (4-5) started and took the loss for Lincoln. She gave up all five runs, all of them earned, on 11 hits and walked one.
Jessica Thomsen followed and worked 2â„3 of an inning and did not allow a hit. Lorenz finished up and allowed just one walk.
The split moved Lincoln to 14-17-1 overall and 6-12 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, while Missouri Southern is now 23-23 and 10-14.