Lincoln rally falls short against Southwest Baptist

Blue Tigers drop both games of baseball doubleheader

Lincoln's Ian Fuemmeler, the Game 2 starter in Saturday's doubleheader at Lincoln Field, works to the plate against a Southwest Baptist batter.
Lincoln's Ian Fuemmeler, the Game 2 starter in Saturday's doubleheader at Lincoln Field, works to the plate against a Southwest Baptist batter.

For the second straight day, Lincoln University's baseball team was able to put together a ninth-inning rally.

And for the second straight day, the Blue Tigers ended up falling short.

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Staff Photographer

Dr. Eric Bowen, from left, Jerry Bruce Rowlett and Jim Lambert, president and CEO of Conway Regional Medical Center, discuss Rowlett's successful heart surgery in which a new form of technology, the Impella 2.5, was used.

"For some reason, we've been swinging it well late in the game," Lincoln senior Josh Kennedy said after the Blue Tigers dropped a Saturday afternoon doubleheader to Southwest Baptist. "If only we could do that the entire game.

"Give our guys credit, though. We don't give up."

Lincoln suffered a 4-3 loss in Game 1 and the Bearcats were able to claim a 4-3 victory in the nightcap to set a new record for the most wins in a season in the program's history.

Meanwhile, Lincoln fell to 2-41 overall and 0-36 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association - the program's worst record since the Blue Tigers went 0-26 in 1984.

"It's hard," Lincoln senior Ben Stewart said. "We had a lot of excitement going into the season, then all of a sudden we only win two games. It's very disappointing."

Much like the rest of the season, the Blue Tigers struggled to get a lot done on the offensive end.

Southwest Baptist (28-22, 24-15 MIAA) outhit Lincoln 23-8 and the Blue Tigers only managed two extra-base hits on the day.

"We struggled getting guys on base," Lincoln coach Jim Dapkus said. "It has just been a constant battle trying to get their confidence level going and we just could never find that groove."

The Blue Tigers had three hits in Game 2 - two in the ninth inning when they were already trailing 4-1.

Zach Roberts led off the frame with a single, Stewart drew a one-out walk and Kennedy followed with a two-run double down the left-field line to bring Lincoln within one.

Similar to Friday's game, the Blue Tigers couldn't get over the hump.

"We put ourselves in a lot of situations where we needed three hits in an inning to score," Dapkus said, noting his club only had 33 doubles and 21 home runs on the year. "That was putting a lot of pressure on us."

Roberts led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and Gatlin Wiggans was hit by a pitch. Roberts stole third and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Stewart to give Lincoln a 1-0 lead.

That's as much offense the Blue Tigers would get for a while.

Southwest Baptist starting pitcher Cole Roark had a no-hitter until the bottom of the seventh, when Stewart led off the inning with a single throughout the left side of the infield.

The team's top hitter didn't know he had spoiled the no-no.

"I was just focused on winning," Stewart said. "I knew he was going to throw me a lot of sliders and curveballs, so I was just trying to sit back as long as possible and hit it hard somewhere."

Lincoln starter Ian Fuemmeler received the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out four in 6 1/3 innings.

"He was pretty consistent for us all year," Dapkus said. "We knew he was going to keep us in the game, and he did."

Southwest Baptist plated a run in the top of the fourth and three more in the fifth, which ended up being all the Bearcats needed.

The Blue Tigers were outhit 15-5 in Game 1, which was delayed by lightning for 45 minutes in the top of the fourth.

Joe Jungmeyer was tagged with the loss, allowing seven runs on 14 hits while striking out three and walking two in six innings. Joshua Register pitched the seventh inning, surrendering one hit.

Southwest Baptist scored two runs in the second and third innings, but the Blue Tigers cut their deficit to three on an RBI single by Roberts in the bottom of the third.

Stewart hit a solo home run to left to lead off the fourth for all the offense Lincoln would get.

"Almost the entire lineup went through this conference for the very first time, and it's a brutal conference," Dapkus said. "They just keep coming at you."

Prior to the second game, Lincoln held a ceremony recognizing 12 seniors, many of whom battled injuries last season.

"They were a great group of guys. I think the world of them," Dapkus said. "They didn't have a lot of success on the field, but I have no doubt off the field they're going to be a really successful group."