Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PETERSBURG, Va. – The Lincoln University softball team dropped a hard-fought CIAA Northern Division doubleheader on Monday to Virginia State as the Lady Lions lost, 3-0, and 7-4, at the VSU Softball Field.
 
In the opener, Virginia State (10-10 overall, 8-2 CIAA, 2-2 CIAA Northern) plated two runs in the bottom of the first and added a run in the fifth for the win.
 
Erin Rucker (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS) (0-12) took the loss in working six innings. She gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
 
Jessica Mattia earned the victory in a complete-game, one-hitter. She finished with a career-high 21 strikeouts.
 
In the second game, Lincoln raced out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Mariah Liberty (Waterbury, Vt./Harwood Union HS), who went 2-for-3, drew a one-out walk and advanced to second when Mariah Coates (Reading, Pa./Reading HS) was hit by a pitch. Jasmine Baxter (Washington, D.C./McKinnley Tech HS) reached on an error, which allowed Liberty to score.
 
The Lady Lions (0-12, 0-10, 0-4) added two more runs in the second inning.
 
Ashley Durr (Waldorf, Md./Gwynn Park) led off the frame and reached on an error. Sharay DuBose (Salisbury, Md./Parkside HS), who went 1-for-3, reached on a fielder's choice as Durr was out at second for the first out. With two down, Danielle Owes (Edgewater Park, N.J./Burlington County Institute of Technology), who went 1-for-4, doubled to right to plate DuBose and Liberty followed with a double to score Owes, giving Lincoln a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Lady Trojans plated a run in the bottom of the second and took the lead for good with four runs on six hits in the third for a 5-3 advantage.
 
Virginia State extended the margin to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the fourth.
 
Lincoln tried to rally in the top of the seventh.
 
Alexis Randall (Fort Washington, Md./Gwynn Park HS), who went 1-for-3, started the inning with a double down the line in left and with one down, Liberty singled up the middle and took second on the play as Randall scored. Liberty advanced to third on a wild pitch. However, she was stranded at third as Rucker popped out and Coates struck out to end the game.
 
Rucker took the loss in the circle for the Lady Lions. She pitched six innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
 
Caitlin Underhill started for Virginia State and didn't figure into the decision as Mattia picked up the win. Underhill gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits with a pair of walks in two innings. Mattia worked five innings in relief to earn the victory.
 
The Lady Lions return to CIAA Northern Division play with a noon doubleheader on Saturday, March 24 at Old Scott Field at the Oxford Athletic Association Sports Complex against Virginia Union University.