On a day where neither the playing conditions or the on-field results had much to offer, at least one thing was worth celebrating Friday for the Lincoln softball team.
Sophomore shortstop Sam Kircher had a hand in all of the Blue Tigers' runs at Lincoln Field as they lost a pair of run-rule decisions to Central Missouri, falling 12-1 in five innings and 11-1 in six innings.
The run in the first game was the most important, as Kircher's solo home run in the last inning tied her for the school record for home runs in a season with seven.
With the Blue Tigers one out away from getting shut out, Kircher lifted a ball that didn't appear to be a sure thing at the start, but kept going until it cleared the fence in right field.
"I pretty much knew it was going over as soon as I hit it," she said.
After hitting three homers in the first two games of the season, and four long balls in the first five contests, Kircher said she knew the record was within sight.
"When I came out in the beginning of the season and started hitting as many as I did, I thought, "This is a goal I'm going for,'" she said. "I just didn't want to make it into anything too big and try too hard."
Kircher's homer was one of just three hits for Lincoln in the opener, as Erin Sommerer had a pair of singles to account for the rest of the offense. Sommerer, coincidentally, is the player Kircher tied for the homer record, as she set the mark last year.
While some records stand for years and players chasing them don't have much connection to them, Kircher said it's been interesting to have someone to talk to about chasing the record, especially someone who just did it.
"It is nice to have somebody to share it with, although I'm sure she probably wanted (the record) longer," Kircher said.
Kircher proved she wasn't just going to start swinging for the fences in her quest for the outright record, as she worked a walk in her first at-bat of the second game.
After a pop out in her next plate appearance, Kircher helped account for the Blue Tigers' only run the next time up. Instead of trying to pull an outside pitch, she hit a line-drive double to right-center field, moved to third on an infield single by Madison Gooden and later scored on a wild pitch.
"There was a couple times I was wanting to hit it really hard, so I was way ahead of the ball," she said. "Then I finally calmed down and went for singles. Sometimes I have trouble with outside pitches, but today I seemed to be on them."
Gooden ended up being the only Blue Tiger in the game with multiple hits, as she had two singles to account for one-third of Lincoln's hit total.
Having just six hits hurt Lincoln, which left the bases loaded in the third while trailing just 4-0 and in the fifth while down 5-0. A hit in either instance might have made a game out of it, but Central Missouri was never challenged before making it a rout with a six-run sixth.
"That's been part of our problem, we cannot string hits together," Lincoln coach Nicole Stacey said. "And if we do hit it, it's right at someone."
It was another blown chance to play the spoiler for the Blue Tigers, who have been eliminated from any chance at making the postseason tournament for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
"I've told them, what we need to do is try to knock somebody out," Stacey said. "We're not going to conference, so our job is to upset somebody."
Alyssa Laudwig (1-13) took the loss for Lincoln in the opener, making it through just 21/3 innings while giving up nine earned runs on 10 hits and three walks. Madison Gooden finished up, allowing three earned runs on six hits and one walk in 22/3 innings.
In the nightcap, Jessica Cook (2-13) took the loss. She allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits and four walks, while getting the only four strikeouts recorded by Lincoln on the day. Gooden again closed the game, giving up two unearned runs on one hit in one inning.
"We have improved on some things during the season, but our pitching is killing us," Stacey said. "It is absolutely killing us. I don't have anyone that wants to step up and complete a game."
The losses dropped Lincoln to 3-26 overall and 0-16 in the MIAA. Central Missouri, meanwhile, improved to 22-14 and 10-6.
"We have girls that think they should play and they shouldn't. The only reason they're getting to play is we're down in numbers," Stacey said of her 12-player roster. "I guess that makes them feel like they're a softball player. But in reality, they shouldn't even be on the field.
"Not having enough players is killing me, because the options are very few and far between."
With just six doubleheaders left this season, including five of them at home, Stacey said the audition process has started for next season.
"I told the ones that are returning to use this as a tryout, because any coach in their right mind is going to make changes," she said. "If you want to really be here, you need to show me. If not, then it's my job to clean it up."
The Blue Tigers return to action today with a home doubleheader against Southwest Baptist starting at 1 p.m.