The Lindenwood softball team opened up the Northeastern State Softball Festival on Saturday, but was unable to pull of a win as it dropped games to Wisconsin-Parkside and Midwestern State.

Lindenwood 1, Wisconsin-Parkside 4

Bethany Fountain induced a pair of groundballs in the top of the first to send down the Rangers 1-2-3 in the top half of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Caitlyn Touchette and Adele Linderman singled to get some momentum going for the Lady Lions, but couldn't push across a run.

After working around a couple walks in the second, Fountain drilled a single herself in the bottom of the frame. Rebecca Stocker advanced her to second after getting hit by a pitch, but that would be it for the offense.

After throwing three and a third innings of no-hit ball, Fountain gave up a triple in the top of the fourth and then threw a wild pitch to allow Wisconsin-Parkside to take a 1-0 lead. The Lady Lions responded in the bottom of the fourth after Alexandra Newcomb singled to lead off the inning. Fountain reached on a fielder's choice, and a Morgan Brown sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position with only one out. Stocker also reached on a fielder's choice, but in doing so scored pinch-runner Malloy Eitel to even the game at one apiece.

Parkside knocked in three runs on three consecutive hitters after a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly gave the Rangers a 4-1 lead. With nothing doing in the sixth, it was down to the seventh for Lindenwood to make a comeback.

Kaitlyn VanHooser forced a 1-2-3 inning in the top half of the seventh, but the Lady Lions couldn't push any runs across as they would fall 4-1 in game one.

Lindenwood 2, Midwestern State 4

Starting pitcher Morgan Colvis didn't share the same success in the first inning as Fountain did in game on as a pair of hits and walks led to an early 2-0 Midwestern State lead. A Newcomb and Alexis Theis single started a threat for the Lady Lions, but they were unable to push across a run.

Three more hits and a walk forced in two more runs for Midwestern State in the third inning to build the lead to 4-0. In the bottom of the frame, Lindenwood loaded the bases and scored one to cut into the lead, but couldn't record a hit to push more across.

Midwestern State scored to get that run back in the top of the fifth after a Lindenwood passed ball. The Mustangs had a chance to grow their lead, but stranded the bases loaded. In the bottom of the frame, the Lady Lions responded on a Maria Tippit hit a sacrifice fly to score Theis.

Once again, however, the Mustangs responded and got the run back on an RBI single in the top of the sixth. Midwestern State put runners on second and third with nobody out in the top of the seventh before another hit gave the Mustangs another run. The Mustangs would go on to score eight more runs in the inning to break open the game 14-2. A Touchette single and walks by Theis and Tippit was the only offense in the bottom of the seventh, and the Lady Lions dropped game two by a final of 14-2 .

Lindenwood is back in action tomorrow morning at nine and 11 a.m. as they take on Cameron and William Jewel, respectively.