LINCOLN -- Spring break arrived at an opportune time for a banged up Lincoln softball squad, which finished sixth in the 4A Foray Tournament hosted by Farmington March 16-17.
The Lady Wolves took a 2-0 lead over defending 4A State champion Gravette in a first-round game, but didn't score again until the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Lady Wolves moved a potential tying run to third base, and lost 5-4.
Lincoln went 3 for 24 at the plate in that game facing Gravette ace Brooke Handle (4 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts, 7 innings), who only allowed 2 earned runs.
Dual threat Brinkley Moreton was sore, but threw all 7 innings and struck out six Lady Lions while issuing a walk and hitting one batter in the loss. At the plate, Moreton went 1 for 2, walked once and scored a run. Three hole hitter Kristine Rhine went 1 for 3 and drove in a run. The other two RBIs came from the bottom of the order with first baseman Juliet Martinez (0 for 2, RBI, walk) and right fielder Paige Beeks (0 for 3, RBI) each driving in a run.
Gravette scored a run in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth and one in the seventh.
The next day Lincoln scored 5 runs on 9 hits, but had to overcome 5 errors while defeating rival Prairie Grove 5-0. Senior Amber Bryant earned the win by striking out five, issuing no walks and holding the Lady Tigers to 3 hits over 7 innings.
Moreton (2 for 4, 2 RBIs, triple, run scored) and Bryant (2 for 3, run scored) collected multiple hits while sophomore Morgan Rice (1 for 3, 2 RBIs, home run, run scored) blasted a 2-run shot out of the ballpark and Rhine (1 for 4, RBI) provided offense. Leadoff hitter freshman Lauren Remington (1 for 4) scored a run.
That game was scoreless over the first four innings before Lincoln took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth, then added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh.
The Lady Wolves faced another quality pitcher, Makenzie Freeman, who threw a no-hitter shutout while striking out eight in Hackett's 5-0 win over Lincoln on March 17. The Lady Hornets scored one run in the bottom of the first inning and 4 in the second. Bryant, Moreton and Rice combined to allow only 4 hits but Lincoln was hurt by 2 errors.
Hackett senior third baseman Lani Coryell did the most damage at the plate for the Lady Hornets. Coryell went 2 for 2 with a double and a triple and scored a pair of runs. She also drew a walk.
Lincoln coach Brittany Engel was looking forward to what she anticipates will be a rejuvenated squad after a week off.
"We're a little banged up right now. I think when we come back from spring break snd we're hopefully all healthy and back that will just show even more what we are capable of," Engel said.