SAINT LEO, Fla. -- The Lady Railsplitters (6-4) broke out of an early-season offensive slump by combining for 26 hits and 12 runs while winning one of two games against a pair of NCAA Division II opponents on Saturday at the Saint Leo Softball Sunshine Invitational.
 
Prior to Saturday's two-game set, Lincoln Memorial had accounted for double-digit hits just one time this season, an 11-hit outing in a nine-inning win over Montevallo last weekend. The Lady Railsplitters had five, six, four and six hits in the four games leading up to the final day of the Saint Leo Invite.
 
The Lady Railsplitters compiled a season-high 12 hits in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Lynn in Saturday's first game, and then reset that season-best mark with 14 hits in a 9-4 throttling of the Flagler Saints.
 
Game One: Lynn 4, Lincoln Memorial 3
 
The Lady Railsplitters put runners in scoring position in both the first and third innings. Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) ripped a two-out double in the top of the first, but she was left stranded following a strikeout. Ashlea Hunter (Woodruff, S.C.) and Teddi Collins (Germantown, Ohio) both singled and moved over to second and third in the top of the second before a ground out cut that inning short.
 
While Lincoln Memorial missed out on two early opportunities, Lynn seized a chance in the bottom of the first. Sara Vazquez and Kaci Vassallo walked to lead off that inning, and a double steal brought the first run home on a Lady Railsplitter error. Vassallo then came around to score on a base hit by Manya Lopez.
 
The Fighting Knights tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth when Francais Olexa walked and scored on Vassallo's sacrifice fly out.
 
The Lady Railsplitters had at least one hit in each of the first five innings without a run to show for it until Amanda Snow (Knoxville, Tenn.) took matters into her own hands, belting a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to trim the deficit to 3-2. The home run was Snow's third in just nine games this season. Following Snow's bomb, Collins put Lincoln Memorial back in business with a double into left center. Two batters later, Jennifer Moose (Statesville, N.C.) tied it up by driving in Collins with a single back up the middle.
 
Lynn quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Christina Carvatta and Vazquez singled to open the inning. Vassallo made it three straight base hits and gave the Fighting Knights a 4-3 edge with a single.
 
Kelly Dreier (Knoxville, Tenn.) led off the top of the seventh with a single, but a double play cleared the bases. Jaclyn Cokeroft (Longwood, Fla.) reached via a two-out single before a foul out ended the contest.
 
The Lady Railsplitters stranded eight runners on base over the course of the game.
 
Brianna Taylor (Ooltewah, Tenn.) went the distance on the mound for Lincoln Memorial, falling to 2-2 after allowing eight hits and four earned runs in six innings of work. Taylor walked four batters and struck out two over that span.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 9, Flagler 4
 
After falling behind 2-0 early, the Lady Railsplitters unleashed a steady stream of offensive production.
 
Malloree Escue hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to give the Saints a 2-0 advantage.
 
Lincoln Memorial answered in the visitor's half of the third, taking over the lead by compiling four runs on four hits. Kristen McAndrew (Belmont, N.C.) walked and Moose singled to put the pieces in place for Johnson, who ripped a two-out, two-run double into straightaway center field. Hunter singled and stole second to put runners on second and third for Snow, who capitalized with a two-RBI single.
 
The Saints evened the game at 4-4 with their second home run of the game in the bottom of the third inning, this time off the bat of Kayla Fuller.
 
But the Lady Railsplitters bounced back with two more runs in the fourth stanza. Cokeroft led off the inning with a single and scored on a base knock by Emilee Solomon (Knoxville, Tenn.). Moose - who reached on a single earlier in the inning - extended LMU's lead to 6-4 by scoring on a passed ball.
 
Lincoln Memorial broke the game completely open in the ensuing inning, as Moose drove in a run with a single and Solomon plated two more with a base hit through the left side of the infield. That three-run, five-hit inning extended the Lady Railsplitters' lead to 9-4.
 
Flagler picked up two hits in each of the last three innings, but was unable to manufacture a run.
 
Taylor rebounded from that tough loss in game one, tossing 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief. The Ooltewah, Tenn. native picked up her third win of the season after allowing seven hits with one strikeout over that span.
 
Solomon went 3-for-5 in the win over Flagler and finished the doubleheader with four hits and three RBI. Solomon has now hit safely in all 10 games this season, maintaining a .400 batting average.
 
Snow finished 3-for-4 against the Saints and compiled four hits on the day with four RBI. She has a hit in nine of the Lady Railsplitters' 10 games. She is carrying a gaudy .414 batting average with a team-leading 13 RBI.
 
Moose posted a 4-for-7 day at the plate with two RBI and three runs scored. Hunter was 3-for-7 at the dish with two runs and a pair of stolen bases.
 
The Lady Railsplitters return to action on February 27, meeting Flagler for a re-match in the first game of the Mid-South Classic in Spartanburg, S.C.