SALISBURY, N.C. -- With reigning NFCA All-America selection Carley Tysinger toeing the rubber for Catawba (21-14, 10-7 SAC), it was fair to assume that the Indians had a distinct advantage on the mound. Lincoln Memorial junior right-hander Samantha Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) and freshman right-hander Brianna Taylor (Ooltewah, Tenn.) upset the status quo, though, combining to stonewall the Indians' offense to lead the Lady Railsplitters (18-18, 7-7 SAC) to 4-1 and 1-0 wins in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday in Salisbury, N.C.
 
Lincoln Memorial extended its season-long winning streak to six games, which stands as the longest current winning streak in the SAC. In the process, the Lady Railsplitters ended Catawba's six-game winning spurt.
 
The Lady Railsplitters moved into a tie for seventh place in the SAC standings with a stretch of eight consecutive home games against league opponents remaining on the schedule.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 4, Catawba 1
 
Smith served up her third straight victory and improved to 7-8 overall with unquestionably the most impressive performance of her junior season. The Knoxville, Tenn. native allowed just three hits, with two coming in the Indians' final plate appearance, and one earned run in the complete-game gem. She struck out two and walked one over that span.
 
Per usual, Tysinger showed flashes of brilliance, striking out nine in the complete game. But she allowed seven hits, walked four batters and committed a costly throwing error to open the door for the Lady Railsplitters.
 
Lincoln Memorial took the lead in the top of the third as Kristen McAndrew (Belmont, N.C.) led off with a single, advanced to second on a hit-by-pitch, moved to third on a base hit by Emilee Solomon (Knoxville, Tenn.) and scored on a bunt-single from Kelly Dreier (Knoxville, Tenn.), her second hit off Tysinger in as many at-bats.
 
Smith held the Indians without a hit until Holli Chandler poked a single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the third, but that would be one of just two baserunners for Catawba over the next four innings, along with Natalie Naturile, who reached via a walk in the fourth frame.
 
The Lady Railsplitters provided some insurance in the top of the seventh as Savannah Couch (Colonial Heights, Va.) walked and Ashlea Hunter (Woodruff, S.C.) reached on the aforementioned error by Tysinger. Solomon was then walked to load the bases with one out. Dreier extended Lincoln Memorial's lead to 2-0 with a single into right field, while Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) plated two runs with another single.
 
The Indians found a chink in Smith's armor in the home half of the seventh as Taylor Adams doubled and Gina Gerone singled to make it a 4-1 game. After an error, Smith closed the door by inducing a foul out, a strikeout and a fly out.
 
Dreier went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a walk, while Johnson drove in two runs with her only hit of the contest.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 1, Catawba 0
 
Couch snapped Tysinger's no-hit bid and drove in the only run of the contest with a two-out, RBI double in the top of the fifth, providing all the run support needed for Taylor and Smith.
 
Taylor dazzled in five innings of work, compiling five hits, five strikeouts, two walks and no earned runs before giving way to Smith. Just an hour after her immaculate complete game came to a close, Smith went two innings in relief with only one hit allowed to earn her first save of the season and preserve Taylor's 10th win.
 
Jennifer Moose (Statesville, N.C.) set the stage for Couch's clutch hit and helped spoil another nice start from Tysinger by drawing a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth inning. Following a groundout and a strikeout, Couch slashed the second double of her freshman season into left field to plate Moose.
 
That was one of just three hits for the Lady Railsplitters, as Couch added a single in the top of the seventh following a base hit for McAndrew.
 
Taylor was rocking and rolling on the mound until back-to-back singles from Naturile and Adams put the potential game-winning run on base with no outs in the sixth. That's when Smith was called back into duty. Naturile was gunned down attempting to steal third, deeming Gerone's double in the ensuing at-bat inconsequential. Smith then induced a lineout and a groundout to strand runners at second and third.
 
A fielding error put the tying run on base for the Indians to lead off the seventh, but Smith forced back-to-back groundouts and a pop out to offset that miscue.
 
Tysinger was stuck with her second loss of the doubleheader despite giving up just three hits and one earned run in seven innings in game two. She struck out eight and walked three. Naturile and Emily Huneycutt led Catawba with two hits apiece.
 
The Railsplitters begin an eight-game home stand on Sunday, welcoming the Brevard Tornados to Dorothy Neely Field for a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.