The Lindenwood softball team (32-6, 19-3 GLVC) earned a road sweep at Missouri-St. Louis (27-18, 15-9 GLVC) on Friday evening, with pinch-hitters Marina Esparza and Mya Bethany stepping up to the occasion to drive in their respective game-winning run in each contest.
 
The Lions snagged a 3-1 victory in game one, before stealing a 3-2 eight-inning decision in the finale.
 
GAME ONE OVERVIEW
The Lions survived a pitchers' duel in the opener, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to complete the comeback 3-1 victory. Amanda Weyh, who completed her 16th game of the spring to improve to 19-1, knotted the game at one apiece with a solo shot to begin the seventh inning festivities. It was the junior's first dinger of the season.
 
After Morgan Gersch and Riley Luetkenhaus reached scoring position, Marina Esparza provided the game-winning run in her first plate appearance of the season with a sacrifice fly. Whitney Kinser followed two batters later with an RBI single that plated Luetkenhaus to make the score 3-1.
 
After allowing the game's first run in the bottom of the fifth, Weyh sent down the final eight Triton batters in order, including her fifth and final strikeout of the afternoon to complete the victory.
 
GAME ONE LEADERS
Kinser (2-for-3, RBI, BB)
Weyh (7.0 IP, 5 K, 1-for-3, HR)
Irelynn West (2-for-3, HBP)
 
GAME TWO OVERVIEW
The Lions tallied a run immediately in the night cap, as Whitney Wendel singled from West with two outs in the first inning. However, Missouri-St. Louis answered with a score of its own in the opening frame off a hit by Courtney Settles.
 
The Tritons then tacked on a run in the fourth to make the score 2-1, as Maddie Snemis scurried home as a result of an Anna VanGundy groundout. Lindenwood, just as in the opener, refused to go away without a fight.
 
With two outs and the bases loaded, Weyh was drilled by UMSL hurler Megan Brown to even the score at 2-2. Luetkenhaus kept it rolling with a leadoff single in the eighth, before the pinch-hitter Bethany drove home pinch-runner Theresa Snaidauf with a seeing-eye single.
 
Esparza worked around a one-out single in the Tritons' half of the frame, but recorded a strikeout and groundout to close out the victory.
 
GAME TWO LEADERS
Wendel (3-for-4)
Weyh (1-for-2, 2 RBI)
Bethany (1-for-1, PH RBI)
 
NOTABLE
- The Friday sweep marked a new NCAA-era record for the Lions, who now have 32 victories this spring.
- Weyh added to her single-season wins record in the opener, as the junior upped her spring total to 19.
-  Weyh has now gone 21 straight innings without issuing a walk. The Mokena, Ill., product has recorded 16 strikeouts during the same stretch.
- With three knocks in the nightcap, Wendel now has a team-high 16 multi-hit games, including seven three-hit contests.
- Since dropped consecutive games for the first time on April 3, Lindenwood has won six straight, all on the road.
- The Lions are now 4-0 in extra-inning contests this spring.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions end their road swing with a GLVC doubleheader tomorrow afternoon at McKendree. First pitch in Lebanon, Ill., is scheduled for 12 p.m.