GREENWOOD, S.C. -- The Lady Railsplitters (12-16) fell on the losing end of a walk-off hit for the third straight game in a 5-4 loss in the opener, but bounced back and hit three home runs to power an 8-3 win in game two to split an NCAA Division II softball doubleheader against the Lander Bearcats (12-18) in Greenwood, S.C. on Sunday afternoon.
 
Game One: Lander 5, Lincoln Memorial 4
 
Neither team recorded a hit until Lander's Makenzie Smith broke the offensive drought with a leadoff single in the bottom of the third, but the Lady Railsplitters were the first to put a run on the board, as Amanda Snow (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked and later scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth.
 
The Bearcats bounced right back, though, tying the game in the bottom of that inning, as Casey Kent singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single from Reychel Webster.
 
After three straight pop outs by the Lady Railsplitters, Lander took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. A fielding error put Smith on safely, and she later stole second and scored on a double by Destiny Clyde.
 
The Lady Railsplitters quickly jumped back into the driver's seat and took a 4-2 lead on one big swing from Ashlea Hunter (Woodruff, S.C.) in the top of the sixth. Snow was hit by a pitch and Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) doubled to put two runners on base for Hunter, who slammed a three-run home run - the second of her career - to straightaway center field.
 
Lincoln Memorial's lead was short lived as Lander responded with two runs in the home half of that inning. Emily Marousek, Webster and Molly McNulty singled over the course of the inning to load the bases with two outs, and a hit-by-pitch to Clyde plated the first run. Casey Wooten then drew a walk to add the tying run.
 
The Lady Railsplitters went down in 1-2-3 order in the top of the seventh, while Lander needed just two batters to build up the walk-off hit in the bottom of that frame. Halie Sorrow doubled to right field and then scored on a single from Marousek, putting Lincoln Memorial on the losing end of a walk-off hit for the third straight game.
 
Samantha Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) suffered the loss, falling to 4-8 after allowing nine hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Snow relinquished two hits and two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
 
Hunter's three-run dinger was one of just two hits for the Lady Railsplitters, with Johnson's double standing as the only other hit.
 
Hannah Newton was responsible for that dominant outing, improving to 8-9 with the complete-game performance.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 8, Lander 3
 
The Bearcats struck first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Wooten reached on a fielding error and scored on a single by Sorrow, who scored in the very next at-bat on a double from Marousek.
 
The Lady Railsplitters broke out of their offensive slump and clawed out of that early two-run deficit by using three home runs to power a 6-0 scoring run over the next five frames.
 
Jennifer Moose (Statesville, N.C.) reached on a fielding error with two outs in the second, and Teddi Collins (Germantown, Ohio) took advantage of that miscue with an RBI single into left field.
 
Savannah Couch (Colonial Heights, Va.) pummeled the Lady Railsplitters into the lead in the fourth stanza, following up an Emilee Solomon (Knoxville, Tenn.) single and a Collins walk with a two-out, three-run home run. It was the first home run of Couch's career in the Blue and Gray.
 
Lander left two runners on base in both the fourth and fifth frames, while Lincoln Memorial extended its lead in the top of the sixth on back-to-back home runs from Moose and Collins.
 
The Lady Railsplitters pushed their advantage to 8-2 in the top of the seventh on a two-run double from Megan Tice (Orlando, Fla.). Lander added a run in the bottom of that inning on a sacrifice fly out, but it was too little, too late.
 
It marks the first time the Lady Railsplitters have went deep three times in the same game since April 19, 2013, when Lincoln Memorial accomplished that feat in a win over Carson-Newman in the SAC tournament.
 
Collins led the Lady Railsplitters with a pair of hits and RBI, while Couch posted a team-high three RBI.
 
Brianna Taylor (Ooltewah, Tenn.) spun a complete game for the Lady Railsplitters, allowing nine hits and three earned runs to improve to 7-8.
 
The Lady Railsplitters return to SAC play on Wednesday with a trip to Jefferson City, Tenn. for a doubleheader against arch-rival Carson-Newman. Game one in that twinbill is set for 2 p.m.