Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 It was a tale of two games for the Lindenwood softball team on its opening day down in Gulf Shores, Ala. on Friday as they defeated McKendree in game one before being short-gamed 8-0 in game two against North Alabama. Madison Huot played hero vs. McKendree when she knocked a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Lady Lions a walk-off victory.

Lindenwood 5, McKendree 4
After starting pitcher Morgan Colvis stranded a pair of runners in the top of the first inning, the offense gained momentum for the Lady Lions. Taylor Scott led off reaching on an error, which followed with a walk by Madeline Bohr. With one out, Alexandra Newcomb drilled a two-run double to centerfield to get Lindenwood on the board and gain an early 2-0 lead.

Alexis Theis kept it going in the bottom of the second when she launched a home run to center to take a 3-0 lead after two innings.

After a couple of scoreless frames, McKendree got some offense going in the top of the fifth. Three infield singles loaded the bases with nobody out before Colvis forced a pop-up to Taylor Scott to record the first out of the inning. Colvis then hit McKendree's cleanup hitter and the Bearcats had a run on the board. McKendree took advantage and Dani Schoenbacher nailed a two-run single to left field to tie the game at three apiece. Colvis got the next two hitters to end the fifth, striking out the last hitter to send the team to the dugout.

Bohr worked a leadoff work in the bottom of the fifth. After Newcomb sacrificed herself to get pinch-runner Mallory Eitel in scoring position, the offense stranded her and went into the sixth inning still tied 3-3.

Lindenwood's defense haunted it as another Colvis hit by pitch, an error by Caitlyn Touchette, and a throwing error by Colvis resulted in a run for the Bearcats to take a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. The Lady Lions threatened in the inning getting two runners on with one out, but a pair of fly outs brought to an end and McKendree still held its 4-3 lead going into the seventh inning.

Colvis stranded the bases loaded in the top of the inning, leaving the deficit at one for the Lady Lions in the final frame. Bohr reached on a throwing error, but then Newcomb grounded into a fielder's choice. A wild pitched moved her to second base with just one out for Brooke Tiehes. Tiehes grounded out to the pitcher for the second out, but moved Newcomb to third for Huot coming to the plate.

On a 1-0 count, Huot drilled one to right field over everything for a walk-off home run and give the Lady Lions a 5-4 win in the first game of the season.

Colvis was the pitcher of record and received the win after surrendering eight hits, three walks, and three earned runs on 123 pitches. Huot ended the game one-for-two with a home run and a walk. Newcomb was one-for-three with that first inning two-run double. Theis finished the game two-for-three with a home run and infield single. As a team, the Lady Lions drew four walks and one hit by pitch, while only striking out four times.

Lindenwood 0, North Alabama 11
The momentum didn't carry over into the final game of the day for the Lady Lions. After striking out the leadoff hitter in the top of the first, starting pitcher Bethany Fountain surrendered three runs on two hits and a walk. Fountain being hit by a pitch in the bottom half of the inning was the only offense for Lindenwood as it trailed 3-0 heading into the second.

After Fountain stranded a one-out single in the top of the second, the Lady Lions went down 1-2-3 in their half of the inning.

North Alabama's Brooklynn Clark led off the top of the third with a home run to centerfield on a 3-2 pitch to give UNA a 4-0 lead. Fountain limited the damage after walking the bases loaded. A throwing error by Taylor Clark after a lineout put a fifth run across the plate, but another lineout and a groundout ended the top half of the third.

After getting the first two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Fountain gave up a double and a walk before Danielle Cruickshank drilled a three-run home run to left field to give UNA an 8-0 lead. Payton Wilson entered the game after a couple more walks, and after walking one hitter of her own she struck out pinch-hitter Kennedy Christy to end the inning.

Maria Tippit and Wilson led off the bottom of the fourth with a pair of walks in attempt to get the offense started. However, Kourtney Bunselmeyer, pinch-hitting for Newcomb, lined out to the pitcher before Faith Koffron flew out to right field and Huot struck out to end the inning still down 8-0.

North Alabama added three more runs in the top of the fifth after a couple walks and a single by Cruickshank to make it 11-0. Wilson got a strikeout and groundout to end the inning. In the bottom half, Bohr broke up the UNA no-hit bid when she singled to right field to lead offf the fifth. After Theis reached on a fielder's choice, the Lindenwood offense failed to bring any runs across.

The Lindenwood pitching staff struggled to find the strike zone in game two, walking 12 UNA hitters. On the other side, the Lady Lions walked twice of their own along with one hit by pitch.

The Lady Lions begin the 2016 season with a 1-1 record, and will continue play in Gulf Shores tomorrow morning and afternoon when they battle Simon Fraser University at 10 a.m. and host Spring Hill College at 2:30 p.m.