DURANT, Okla. - The Lincoln softball team opened up its 2013 season with a split of four games at the Southeastern Oklahoma State Tournament.
Lincoln kicked things off with a 6-5 loss to Henderson State on Friday.
The Blue Tigers came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning down 6-2 before staging a late rally that fell just short.
Sam Kircher singled in a run and Brianna Akers smacked a two-run single to get the Blue Tigers within a run with nobody out.
Following an error to the next batter, Amanda Coffelt tried to race from second to home but was tagged out. The game ended on a double play, ending Lincoln's rally.
Kircher and Lauren McMinn both collected two hits for Lincoln. Starr McLeod took the loss by allowing four earned runs on eight hits in three innings.
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Lincoln then picked up its first win of the year behind a brilliant pitching performance from Clair Lorenz in the second game of Friday's doubleheader, as the Blue Tigers defeated Ouachita Baptist 2-0.
Lorenz tossed a complete-game shutout while striking out six, walking two and allowing just four hits.
Kristina Hein provided the only offense Lincoln needed with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the first inning.
The Blue Tigers tacked on another run in the second inning when Haley Bartow singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch and an error.
Bartow went 3-for-3 to lead the Lincoln attack.
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Lorenz was at it again in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader, but this time it came at the plate.
Lorenz smacked a pair of home runs for the Blue Tigers, but they came up short in an 11-8 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State.
After falling behind 7-0 after three innings, Lorenz sparked a six-run fourth inning with a solo homer over the fence in left field.
Following three base hits, McMinn cleared the bases with a double to the gap in right to cut the lead to 7-4. Shannon Light walked before Kircher roped a two-run double.
The Savage Storm added a run in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 8-6 before Lorenz launched her second home run of the game, another solo shot, in the top of the fifth.
Southeastern Oklahoma tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to create an insurmountable 11-7 lead.
Lincoln's Erin Sommerer blasted a leadoff homer in the top of the seventh to cap the scoring.
Brianna Akers went 3-for-4, and Lorenz, Kircher and Sommerer all added two hits.
Kristina Hein took the loss by tossing 2 1â„3 innings and allowing five earned runs on three hits. She struck out two batters. Lorenz pitched 3 2â„3 innings in relief, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.
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Lincoln closed Saturday with a come-from-behind victory against Arkansas Tech.
Arkansas Tech plated four runs in the bottom of the second to jump out to big early lead. Lincoln cut into the deficit when Sommerer blasted a solo homer to center field, her second shot of the day, in the top of the fourth.
Arkansas Tech got that one right back in the bottom half to go up 5-1.
Lincoln then tied it with a four-spot in the fifth and took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth.
Lorenz collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly to open the scoring in the fifth, Shantae Duren smacked a run-scoring double to left and Akers tied the game with a double to the gap in left.
Kircher won the game in the sixth with a RBI single through the left side. Lorenz also came home to score on the play following a throwing error on the shortstop. Duren capped the scoring with a double to center that scored Kircher.
McMinn, Kircher, Duren, Sommerer and Akers all collected two hits for Lincoln in the contest.
Lorenz (2-0) picked up the win by tossing 51â„3 innings in relief, allowing one earned run on two hits with seven strikkeouts. McLeod started the game but gave up four earned runs in 1 1â„3 innings.
Lincoln (2-2) completes tournament play today with games against Cameron and Drury.