The Lindenwood softball team began its season with a 4-1 loss to Montevallo in the early afternoon on Saturday in Hendersonville, Tenn. at the Music City Invitational before breaking out the bats in a 12-2 six-inning victory against Bellarmine. Freshman Kimberly Fozzard hit two homers, including a grand slam, in the victory over the Knights, while also earning the win inside the circle with four innings and allowing just one earned run. The freshman threw 8.1 innings on the day, allowing two total runs, while striking out four. 

Lindenwood 1, Montevallo 4

Freshman Stormee Galka got the start in the circle to begin the Lady Lions' season. The southpaw worked around trouble in the first couple innings, but finally succumbed to the Falcons' offense in the third when she allowed a pair of homers to put Lindenwood down 3-0 early. 

The Lady Lions answered back in the bottom of the third with a run of their own. Galka reached on a fielder's choice with two outs before Maddie Bohr singled and Hannah Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Maria Tippit came to bat in a pinch-hit situation, and came through with a single to left to score Galka. 

After entering in relief for Galka with one out in the third, Fozzard retired 13 of the next 17 Montevallo hitters, only allowing one unearned run from an errant throw on a ground ball. The Lindenwood offense stalled after the third inning, however, only reaching base two others times before the game ended, 4-1. 

Lindenwood 12, Bellarmine 2

What Lindenwood failed to do in the first game of the day, it succeeded in the night cap.

Bohr led off the game with a walk before beating the throw to second on a Tippit grounder. Freshman Austine Pauley bunted herself on, loading the bases with one out for Fozzard. The O'Fallon, Mo. native launched a deep fly ball that carried over the left-field fence for a grand slam.

The Lady Lions added one run in the second inning, although they had their chance to score more. Senior Morgan Brown hit a homer to straight-away center to lead off the inning, while Bohr and Johnson hit consecutive singles. Tippit lined out, as Bellarmine doubled off Bohr at second, before catching Johnson stealing to end the inning.

Fozzard drilled another homer in the third after Pauley singled in front of her. The McNeese State transfer threw the first three innings scoreless, allowing just a pair of hits. 

Bellarmine got on the board in the fifth inning, taking advantage of the Lindenwood miscues after Fozzard allowed two singles. A wild pitch and an error led to a run for the Knights, but Fozzard stranded two as she struck out a hitter and induced a ground out to end the inning. After Fozzard surrendered a leadoff double in the fifth, Bethany Fountain came in relief. The junior forced a grounder to get the first out of the inning, but a single scored the inherited runner and a walk chased her from the circle.

Entering the sixth with the lead at 7-2, the Lindenwood offense kept going. The Lady Lions scored five more runs, when Tippit doubled home Johnson and Bohr, and Faith Koffron hit a pinch-hit three-run homer to make the score 12-2. Galka would finish the final 1.1 innings of the game, striking out the side in the sixth. 

Lindenwood begins its season under new head coach Liz Kelly with a split on the team's first day of games. The Lady Lions will wrap up the Music City Invitational tomorrow with a 10 a.m. first pitch against McKendree before playing Kentucky Wesleyan at 4 p.m.