ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood Softball team (20-20, 9-9 OVC) added a crucial victory late in the conference season with a 3-0 shutout win at home over SIUE on Sunday afternoon. Samantha Roulanaitis and Ryleigh Owens shut down the Cougar offense, as the duo allowed just four hits combined and added three strikeouts and two walks to limit SIUE's offense. The offense for the Lions produced 11 total hits with six of those coming off the bats of Anna Sanders and Teryn Brown who each went 3-3 on the afternoon. 

After Roulanaitis recorded a one-two-three top of the first inning, the Lions wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first thanks to a one-out double to left center from Sanders, and Jolie McMinn picking up an RBI single up the middle that scored Sanders to give Lindenwood a 1-0 lead. That lead would hold until the sixth inning as Roulanaitis allowed three hits over the second through fifth innings and allowed just five base runners with only one Cougar runner advancing to third in the fifth inning. After SIUE got back-to-back hits and threatened to score the tying run, Owens entered the game with runners on first and third with two outs in the top of the fifth and needed just three pitches to end the SIUE threat by striking out the Cougars lead off hitter Juztyne Torres. The Lions had the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth following the Owens strikeout to end the top half of the fifth, but SIUE's Avery Arwood was able to escape the jam as Lindenwood maintained their 1-0 lead with two innings to go. 

In the top of the sixth, Owens struck out two more batters after allowing a one-out walk, and the Lions were able to create some separation from SIUE by putting up two runs in the bottom of the sixth behind an RBI bases loaded walk from Sanders and a Dallis Darnell RBI single to centerfield. Owens ended the game in the top of the seventh by forcing a game ending 1-6-3 double play to pick up her second save of the season, and Roulanaitis added her fourth win of the season by pitching the first 4.2 innings of the game and giving up no runs on three hits to help the Lions improve to 9-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. 

Lindenwood will now hit the road next weekend as they will take on in-state conference opponent SEMO next weekend. First pitch from Cape Girardeau, Mo is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 18 for game one of a doubleheader.