Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Lincoln University softball team won their first two games of the season Thursday afternoon as they recorded a doubleheader sweep over Trinity Washington University 19-1 and 20-4 at the Lions Softball Field.
 
Thursday's games were also the first home games for the Lions this season as the team has been battling the winter-like weather throughout the past six weeks.  The Lions improve to 2-12 on the season while Trinity falls to 0-16.  Both games ended after five innings.  Lincoln's 20 runs in game two was the most runs the team has scored in a game since plating 22 against Gallaudet in 2009.
 
McKenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) led the Lions offensive onslaught with seven hits in eight at-bats over the two games.  The sophomore infielder recorded four doubles and two triples while scoring seven runs and notched seven RBI on the afternoon.  Her three doubles in the second game tie a school record for most doubles in a single game.  Tierra Russaw (Westland, Mich./Summit Academy), Selena Mulet (Baltimore, Md./Catholic HS of Baltimore) and Jemiah Groce (Newark, Del./Christiana) also recorded four hits apiece on the afternoon.  Russaw and Faith Queen (Landover, Md./Fairmont Heights) had four RBI apiece in the two game series.  The Lions scored at least one run in every inning they batted on the afternoon
 
Groce earned the victory in both contests, starting the opener and tossing a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and pitching the final three innings of game two, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five.
 
Lincoln opened game one with six runs in the first inning with the big blow coming off the bat of Spencer, a two-run triple to left field.  Groce followed with a single up the middle to score Spencer.  Lincoln added two more runs via an error and a wild pitch before Diamond Scott (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) singled to plate Queen with the sixth run of the inning.
 
Spencer drove in two more runs in the second inning with a double to right field.  Mulet added an RBI single and Queen and Kyleigh Norwood (Falls Church, Va./Fairmont Heights) drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to bring in two more runs. Scott and Russaw drove in the final two runs of the inning, giving the Lions a 13-0 lead.
 
The Lions plated five more in the third to go up 18-0 heading into the fourth inning.  Trinity's Amaya Webb singled up the middle to start the inning, breaking up the no-hitter thrown by Groce to that point.  She later scored on an infield out to make the score 18-1.
 
Spencer scored Lincoln's last run in the fourth after singling down the left field line and then winding up on third base following a throwing error to get the ball back into the infield.  She came in to score following another Trinity error to make the final score 19-1.
 
In game two, the Lions put their running game into action, stealing 13 bases to help generate a season-high 20 runs.  Russaw drove in the first two runs in the bottom half of the first with a single following a double steal by Scott and Tymera Crudup (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat).  Russaw later stole second and came around to score on Spencer's triple.   Queen plated Spencer with a single of the middle and then stole two bases to reach third before scoring on an infield error to give the Lions a 5-0 lead.
 
Trinity scored twice in the second inning with both runs coming home via wild pitches thrown by Scott who started and pitched the first two innings.
 
Scott led off the second with a single and advanced on an error before scoring on Crudup's single.  Crudup notched her stolen base of the game before scoring on Spencer's double.  An error and a wild pitch brought home two more Lincoln runs before Lena Rodriguez (Lockport, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) reached on an infield error to bring home two more runs and gave the soccer goalkeeper turned outfielder for the spring her first career RBI, making the score 11-2.
 
Crudup singled, stole second and scored on Spencer's second double of the game.  Breanna Pigford (Mickleton, N.J./Kingsway Regional) reached on an error putting runners at the corners before both base runners (Spencer and Pigford) executed a double steal with Spencer scoring.  Pickford later scored on a wild pitch and Mulet followed with a triple to right field.  Rodriguez singled to plate Mulet and give the Lions a 15-2 lead.
 
Spencer hit her third double of the game in the fourth inning tying the Lions single game mark set by three others and last done by Diana Martinez against Trinity last season.  Queen added a bases loaded walk and Mulet brought home two more runs with a double of her own.  Ny'air Best (Burlington, N.J./Burlington City) and Groce drove in the final two Lions runs.
 
Trinity scored twice in their final at-bat to make the final score 20-4.
 
The Lions will play their final home games of the season on Saturday, April 14, 2018 when they host Bowie State in a CIAA north division doubleheader.  First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.