ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood softball team (19-20, 8-9 OVC) fell in both games of their doubleheader this afternoon against SIUE by scores of 4-8 and 4-5. Both games saw the Lions mount comeback efforts, but both comeback attempts fell just short as the Lions fell to 8-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference Standings. 

Game One: SIUE 8, Lindenwood 4. 
The Cougars scored one run in both the first and third innings to grab a 2-0 lead. Lindenwood had one hit through the first two innings, and had just one base runner reach base safely, but Kylee Crowder evened the game at two later in the game in the bottom of the fourth with a no-doubt two run home run to left field. However, SIUE put up six runs in the top of the fifth inning to re take the lead at 8-2, and in the bottom of the fifth Anna Sanders had a two-run triple to right field to cut the deficit to 8-4. The Lions went six up and six down in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings however as the Cougars held on to win the opening game by a score of 8-4. Jalese Hays and Molly Heidrick combined to throw the final 2.1 innings of the contest and didn't allow any runs to keep the Cougars off the scoreboard. Hays struck out one batter, while Heidrick didn't allow a hit in one inning of work. Offensively, Lindenwood had eight hits with Madisen Noll and Jolie McMinn each collecting two, but the pitching by SIUE kept the Lion offense in check as they struck out seven and allowed no walks in the game. 

Game Two: SIUE 5, Lindewood 4 (9 Inn)
The Lions drew first blood in the bottom of the third on a Madisen Noll RBI single that scored Teryn Brown, and Lindenwood added on to their lead in the bottom of the fourth on an Emily Geary RBI sacrifice fly to give LU a 2-0 lead after four innings of play. Ryleigh Owens got the start in the circle and was excellent early on as the Senior pitcher allowed just two hits through the first five innings and added a strikeout, but the Cougar offense was able to do damage in the top of the sixth by putting up four runs on four hits to take their first lead of the game by a score of 4-2.

Lindenwood immediately responded in the bottom of the sixth by tying the game at four behind RBI singles from Danielle Franz and Brown, but neither team would score in the seventh as the game headed to extras. In the top of the eighth, Ava Risum struck out two SIUE hitters and recorded a one-two-three inning, but the Lions also went one-two-three in the bottom half of the inning to send the game to the ninth. The Cougars were able to score the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth behind two singles and two errors by the Lindenwood defense, and in the bottom half of the inning LU got a single from Brown, but was not able to score the tying run as SIUE swept the doubleheader with a 5-4 game two win to improve to 10-7 in the OVC standings.

Despite the loss, Risum made her first appearance in the circle since March 18 and struck out a game-high four batters while allowing just three hits and one earned run over 3.2 innings of work. At the plate, Lindenwood outhit the Cougars 10-8 and Teryn Brown went a perfect 4-4 with with one RBI and a run scored to lead the offense in game two. 

The Lions will wrap up their series with SIUE tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+.