Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 OXFORD, Pa. – The Lincoln University softball team dropped a CIAA Northern Division twinbill on Friday afternoon as the Lady Lions lost the opener against Elizabeth City State, 10-1 in five innings, and were edged in the second game, 8-7, at Old Gold  Field at the Oxford Athletic Association Sports Complex.
 
In the opener, Elizabeth City State (3-10 overall, 3-5 CIAA, 2-0 Northern) scored a pair of runs in the second inning and exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach at 9-0. The Lady Vikings added a run in the fifth inning and the Lady Lions tried to rally by getting a run in the bottom of the frame.
 
With one down, Ashley Durr (Waldorf, Md./Gwynn Park) reached on an error and advanced to second on a passed ball. Sharay DuBose (Salisbury, Md./Parkside HS) crushed the pitch from Elizabeth City State pitcher Jennifer Gray deep to right for a triple to plate Durr.
 
Erin Rucker (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS), who threw just eight pitches in the first inning, took the loss. She surrendered 10 runs (seven earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk in five innings.
 
Gray picked up the win by working five innings of one-hit ball. She fanned nine and walked two.
 
In the second game, the Lady Vikings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Lincoln (0-10, 0-8, 0-2) trimmed the margin to 2-1 with a run in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Danielle Owes (Edgewater Park, N.J./Burlington County Institute of Technology), who went 2-for-5, led off the frame with a base hit down the right field line and scored when Mariah Liberty (Waterbury, Vt./Harwood Union HS) tripled to left.
 
Elizabeth City State answered right back with a pair of runs in the second, but again Lincoln responded with two runs in the bottom of the third.
 
With one down, Liberty, who went 1-for-2, walked and advanced to second when Rucker, who was 2-for-4, reached on a base hit to left. Both advanced a base on a passed ball. Liberty came in to score on a passed ball and Rucker scored when Mariah Coates (Reading, Pa./Reading HS) reached on an error to cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
The Lady Vikings got a run in the fourth, but the Lady Lions tied the game in the bottom of the fifth at five with a pair of runs on one hit.
 
Liberty began the inning with a base on balls and took second on a wild pitch. Coates, who went 1-for-2, drew a one-out walk and both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Jasmine Baxter (Washington, D.C./McKinnley Tech HS) walked to load the bases. Jasmine Dabney (Baltimore, Md./New Town HS), who went 2-for-4, singled to right center, plating Liberty. Durr reached on a fielder's choice as Baxter was out at third and Coates came in to score, tying the game at 5.
 
The Lady Lions took its first lead of the afternoon with a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth.
 
With one down, Owes singled to center and advanced to third when Rucker ripped a two-out double to left. Coates followed with a double to left and plated Owes and Rucker to give Lincoln a 7-5 lead.
 
The Lady Lions needed just three outs to notch their first win, but it wasn't meant to be as the Lady Vikings scored three runs on three hits and took advantage of one error in the top of the seventh to grab an 8-7 advantage.
 
Lincoln had one final opportunity to tie or win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Dabney led off the frame with a double to left and was thrown out at third when trying to stretch the play into a triple. Durr followed with a base hit to center. DuBose reached on a fielder's choice as Durr was out at second. Alexis Randall (Fort Washington, Md./Gwynn Park HS) walked to move DuBose to second, but Owes grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.
 
Rucker (0-10) took the loss in pitching a complete game. She gave up eight runs (five earned) on eight hits with six walks and a pair of strikeouts.
 
Kris Cochran earned the victory in seven innings of work. She gave up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits with six walks and eight strikeouts.
 
The Lady Lions return to action 2 p.m., on Monday, March 19 in Petersburg, Va., for a CIAA Northern Division doubleheader against Virginia State.