The Lindenwood softball team began the HAAC Tournament by splitting the first-day doubleheader against William Jewell on Friday night at Lou Brock Sports Complex. The Lady Lions won the first game 4-0, but lost 4-3 in a 14-inning pitcher's duel in game two.

Aubrey Moss pitched a one-hitter in game one to give the Lady Lions the one-game advantage, as the offense was able to produce four runs of support for its pitcher.

Moss threw all seven innings, surrendering the lone hit to the Cardinals in the sixth inning, while striking out eight batters and walking just one.

The Lady Lions scored all four of their runs in the second, three of which came on a bases-loaded double for Emily Johnson. William Jewell chose to walk Sophia Galati to pack the bases full and Johnson made the Cardinals pay with a hit into the left-center field gap.

It looked as if it was going to be Lindenwood's day. For game two, William Jewell became the home team, and was able to bat in the bottom half of the innings.

The second game was up for grabs and the Lady Lions had the lead twice with an opportunity to close-out the Cardinals, but failed to finish the deal.

William Jewell took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, and that would be the only time it held the lead until the game's final at-bat. Heidi Schertzer got the start for Lindenwood and held-down the Cardinal offense, pitching four innings, conceding just one unearned run on three hits and striking out three batters.

The Lady Lions snatched the lead in the fifth, when Miranda Schlosser hit a ball through the left-side of the infield to score both Jessica Long and Kimberly Ruth.

But William Jewell knotted the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh to stay alive. Neither team scored until the 14th inning. In that scoring drought, both teams' pitchers were dominating. For the Lady Lions, Moss came on in relief to pitch 7 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out three batters.

In the top of the 14th, Galati drove in Chelsea Landeck with a single and Lindenwood jumped in front 3-2. But in their turn to bat, the Cardinals scored two runs to break the hearts of the Lady Lions and steal game two 4-3, continuing the series.

Offensively, Galati led her team, going 4-7 at the plate with an RBI and a stolen base. She also made some spectacular plays defensively to keep her team in the game.

Lindenwood will face William Jewell in a win-or-go-home scenario on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Lou Brock Sports Complex. The winner will advance to a four-team double-elimination tournament next weekend to decide the winner of the HAAC Tournament.