COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State softball team faced off in its final doubleheader of the season against Lincoln University on Sunday afternoon.

Northwest was able to win both games. The Bearcats took game one, 14-6, and game two, 7-5. Northwest finishes the season with a record of 15-36 overall, 9-17 MIAA.

GAME ONE
In the second inning, the Bearcats were able to put four runs on the board. Sophie Mayhugh recorded an RBI with a double to right center that allowed Madison Friest to score. During the next at bat, Hannah Blackford was able to bring Mayhugh home with a single down the right field line. A few batters later with the bases loaded, Jacee Winn singled to left to score Blackford. Northwest was able to score one more run to conclude the inning as Olivia Daugherty hit a sacrifice fly to score Brylee Kemper.

The Blue Tigers were able to score one run with a solo home run to put them on the board in the bottom of the third.

In the fifth, Northwest put another solid inning together. Lauren Gray and Sophie Mayhugh each drove in runs. Brylee Kemper recorded an RBI with a double to center field that allowed both Mayhugh and Gray to score.

Northwest took an 8-1 lead into the sixth inning. Madison Friest recorded her first RBI of the day with a single down the left field line to score Olivia Daugherty.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lincoln hit a solo homer and followed that by scoring four more runs later in the inning. The Blue Tigers closed in on the Bearcat lead to make the score 9-6 heading into the seventh.

Abby Nolte came up with the bases loaded and two outs. Nolte hit a grand slam and gave Northwest a 13-6 lead. During the next at bat, Madison Friest followed Nolte's homer with one of her own to increase the lead, 14-6.

The Bearcats out-hit the Blue Tigers, 15-7.

Breck Dickey struck out 10 batters and gave up six runs as she pitched into the sixth inning. This marked Dickey's fourth straight win as she ended the season with a record of 9-12. Hayden Simmons earned her second save of the year shen came in to relieve Dickey and recorded two strikeouts while giving up no runs.

Madison Friest led the team going 3 for 5 at the plate with two RBIs and one home run.

GAME TWO
Lincoln started off hot in the first inning scoring three runs to take an early 3-0 lead.

Northwest got their first run of the game thanks to a Brylee Kemper solo home run to right center. It was Kemper's second homer on the year.

In the fourth, the Blue Tigers hit a two-run home run to increase their lead to 5-1.

The Bearcats were able to get going again in the fifth as Skylar Pieper hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Lela Bryant to score. A few batters later Jacee Winn was able to score from third as Abby Nolte reached first on an error. After five innings, Northwest trailed 5-3.

To begin the sixth, Sophie Mayhugh recorded an RBI as she hit a single to right field that plated Lauren Gray. Later in the inning, Jacee Winn singled to left which allowed Lela Bryant to score and tie things up at 5-5. Olivia Daugherty recorded two RBIs with a single to center field that scored Skylar Pieper and Jacee Winn.

After six innings, Northwest had their first lead of game two at 7-5, which would end up being the final score.

Jacee Winn and Olivia Daugherty were the only Bearcats to record two hits.

Hayden Simmons got the start and struck out two batters, while allowing five runs. Raven Defrain came in during the fourth inning striking out one batter and giving up no runs. Defrain got the win to move to 3-9 on the season.

NOTES: Nolte hit her 12th home run of the season to tie for the seventh-best single-season total in school history ... Nolte has tallied 23 career home runs, which ties her with Erin Keeney for the eighth-most in Northwest's softball history ... freshman Skylar Pieper finished the season leading the Bearcats in batting average (.322) ... Nolte recorded a team-best 31 RBI in 2022 ... Dickey struck out a team-best 128 batters in 2022, which ranks as the seventh-best single-season total in program history.