Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Bolivar, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University softball team finished the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Lincoln on Monday afternoon. With the sweep of Lincoln, SBU secured a spot in the MIAA post season tournement as well as their first 30-win season in over 20 years. The Bearcats finish the regular season 31-19 (15-11 MIAA).

Kacey Ayers-Evans dominated game one, as she began by striking out the side in the first inning. Jaidyn Mawhinney led off the bottom of the first with a single; Megan Schellert hit a double down the left field line scoring Mawhinney and giving SBU a 1-0 lead. After a quick top of the second inning, Darien Robinson walked to open the bottom of the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alexis Dock smoked a double to right center which gave SBU a 2-0 lead. A Blue Tiger throwing error would allow Dock to score and SBU took a 3-0 lead into the third inning. Ayers-Evans once again made quick work of LU in the third and SBU came to bat with a 3-0 lead. Stormy Christerson and Lauren Strobel hit back-to-back doubles in the third increasing the SBU lead to 4-0. Dana Graves singled in Strobel giving the Bearcats a 5-0 lead, with the RBI Graves became the first player in SBU history to reach 100 RBI's for her career. Raigan Ratliff and Mawhinney opened the bottom of the fourth with singles. After a Blue Tiger error loaded the bases Schellert singled up the middle clearing the bases making the SBU lead 8-0, following another error by Lincoln SBU scored and had a 9-0 lead going into the fifth inning. Ayers-Evans closed the door in the fifth and SBU would win the game 9-0, and finished the game allowing one hit while striking out nine. Following the win Ayers-Evans improves to 15-11 on the season.

Claire Miller retired the Blue Tigers in order in the first inning, and SBU would come to the plate with the game scoreless. Mawhinney singled to open the bottom of the first inning and came around to score on a fielding error by LU and after an inning SBU led 1-0. Both teams were held off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth inning when SBU scored three runs. The inning began with a Dock walk and a Ratliff base hit.  After a fielder's choice Catlin Evans sacrificed bunted and scored Dock. LU would commit an error and SBU tacked on two more runs giving them a 4-0 lead after four innings. Miller struck out the side in the fifth inning, Robinson led off the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle. Kori Hillenburg pinch ran for Robinson, Dock singled putting runners on first and second with one out. Ratliff singled scoring Hillenburg and increasing the SBU lead to 5-0. Mawhinney and Evans had back-to-back RBI singles putting SBU 6-0.  LU committed another error which scored two SBU runs and gave them the 8-0 victory. 

SBU will return to action on Thursday, April 27th when they play in the first round of the MIAA tournament. #7 seed SBU will play #2 seed Pittsburg State. First pitch is set for 5:00 PM from Oklahoma City, Okla.