On Monday, Lincoln traveled to Butler and lost 6-5. A mental mistake cost the Lady Cardinals in the end as they failed to cover third base on a bunt attempt to tie the game. An unnecessary throw to second sent a runner to third who scored on a wild pitch ending the game. Lincoln lost a 5-3 lead in the sixth.
The Lady Bears scored three in the first and three in the sixth while Lincoln scored one in the third, three in the fourth and one more in the fifth. Lincoln's line ended 5-6-2 while Butler was 6-6-3.
Braylin Paxton, coming off one of her best performances of the year in the Kaysinger Conference Tournament, gave up six runs, on six hits, struck out seven and walked two. She took the loss while Kylee Dubray earned the victory for Butler. She gave up six hits, five runs, struck out 11 and walked no one.
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In what was one of their ugliest games of the season, Lincoln defeated LaMonte 26-11 after four innings on Tuesday night in Lincoln. Unofficially, LaMonte committed 12 errors and Lincoln had six clean hits. Approximately 15 runners combined scored from third base on a passed ball or wild pitch.
Lincoln scored 9 in the first as Coach Aleah Johnson had the third base runner leave third early for the last out.
Lady Cards hurler Braylin Paxton momentarily lost the strike zone and LaMonte raced back to a 13-10 deficit.
The bright spot was that Paxton recorded her 500th career strikeout in the game. The game was stopped for recognition after her sixth K of the game in the third.
Molly Strozewski finished out the game in the circle.
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The Lady Cardinals came back strong on Wednesday with a 16-0 defeat of Archie in three innings in Lincoln.
Freshman Molly Strozewski, the heir apparent to starting pitcher Braylin Paxton, who rested her sore knee, shut out Archie in a 16-0 victory at home.
Archie came in at 5-5 and looked to be a handful but the Lady Cardinals jumped on them early, scoring six in the first and ten in the second in the three inning affair.
Strozewski gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out five. The Whirlwinds were tagged with six errors while Lincoln made one miscue. Lilly Mellen went 2 for 3, scored two runs and picked up two RBI's. When she has a good game, the Lady Cardinals usually win.
Coach Johnson played several players in the sweet victory to move Lincoln's record to 14-2.
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On Thursday, the Lady Cardinals won over visiting Green Ridge, 4-3 on a walk-off single up the middle by Alyssa Mellen that scored Molly Strozewski from second. Strozewski bunted her way on and went to second on an overthrow to the pitcher. Lilly Mellen was intentionally walked setting up her sister's single.
Braylin Paxton struggled at times on the mound but held on for the win. She gave up three runs on three hits, walked three, hit three and had two wild pitches.
She struck out nine batters to her credit in spite of a strike zone that moved around sometimes from pitch to pitch.
Back-to-back triples by Alyssa Mellen and Cadence Harvey scored two runs in the third but the Lady Cardinals left the bases loaded as Paxton was put out on a soft liner to the shortstop and Skylar Arbuckle struck out.
Lilly Mellen made two inning ending catches on a ball hit in shallow left field and a ball hit over the second base side. Second baseman Arbuckle made a nice catch in foul territory in the second.
Lincoln blew a 3-1 lead in the seventh.
Lincoln had beaten Green Ridge 10-0 in the conference tournament the Saturday before.
Lincoln is now 15-2.
