COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Lady Railsplitters (1-6) suffered a 9-4 loss to host Columbus State and dropped a 9-3 decision to No. 9 nationally-ranked Georgia College on the final day of the CSC Cougar Classic on Sunday in Columbus, Ga.
 
Big innings proved costly to Lincoln Memorial's cause, as the Lady Railsplitters served up at least four runs in three different innings, including a seven-run outburst against Georgia College. On the other end of the spectrum, the Lady Railsplitters were mostly unable to get anything going offensively, accumulating six hits in game one and five hits in game two.
 
Game One: Columbus State 9, Lincoln Memorial 4
 
The Lady Railsplitters grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first inning and maintained control until the Cougars broke the game open by scoring five runs in the fifth and four runs in the seventh to power the victory.
 
BriAnna Schrimpf (Chandler, Ariz.) put Lincoln Memorial ahead in the bottom of the first frame with a two-out, two-run home run, which plated Savannah Couch (Colonial Heights, Va.), who reached two batters earlier on a hit-by-pitch.
 
The Cougars threatened to score in both the third and fourth innings. Columbus State put runners on first and third in the top of the third thanks to a hit-by-pitch and a two-out fielding error. But LMU starting pitcher Samantha Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) forced Calli Star into a pop out to end that frame. A runner reached third again in the top of the fourth when McKenzie Fagioli led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. But another pop out ended the inning and kept the Cougars quiet.
 
Columbus State would finally break through in the top of the fifth inning, using five hits to plate five runs. After a pair of hit-by-pitches put two runners on, Kia Smith evened the game at 2-2 with a single into right center. The Lady Railsplitters recorded the second out of the inning with a fly out, but the next five batters would reach safely to give the Cougars a 5-2 lead. Fagioli, Kailey Boone and Rachel Rhodes each tallied run-scoring over that span.
 
Lincoln Memorial stranded a runner on base in the home half of both the fifth and sixth innings, while the Cougars tacked on four more runs in the top of the seventh. After a single by Rhodes and a double from Keeli Waugh, an error allowed the first run of the inning to cross. A bases-loaded walk brought Waugh in to score three batters later, while Star drove in two runs with a single.
 
The Lady Railsplitters got a little something going in the bottom of the seventh, as Ashlea Hunter (Woodruff, S.C.) singled and Lindsay Cecil (Winston-Salem, N.C.) walked to put two runners on. An error by the Columbus State pitcher allowed Hunter to score, while Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) drove in Cecil with a single in the next at-bat. Another runner reached base for Lincoln Memorial that inning when Schrimpf was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout stopped the rally from going any further and ended the game.
 
Alicia Raymond (Cleveland, Tenn.) took the loss for the Lady Railsplitters after giving up three earned runs and a hit over 1 1/3 innings of relief. Smith surrendered four hits and two runs with a strikeout in her start, which lasted 3 1/3 innings. Brianna Taylor (Ooltewah, Tenn.) pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, allowing six hits and four unearned runs over that span.
 
Schrimpf accounted for two of LMU's six hits and drove in two runs with her first-inning home run. Cecil went 1-for-3 at the top of the order with a walk.
 
Sydney Barker picked up the win for Columbus State after tossing five innings with four hits and two earned runs allowed. Rachel Rhodes led the Cougar offense, which produced 11 hits as a unit, with a 3-for-4 showing that included a run and an RBI.
 
The loss drops Lincoln Memorial to 5-12 all-time against Columbus State.
 
Game Two: No. 9 Georgia College 9, Lincoln Memorial 3
 
The Lady Railsplitters and Bobcats traded runs in the first inning. Georgia College struck first when Kristen Brooks was hit by a pitch before scoring on a two-out single from Faith Flanders. Lincoln Memorial responded in the bottom half of the first when Couch doubled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly out from Cecil.
 
The Bobcats asserted control of the game in the top of the second inning, though, scoring seven runs on six hits. The first six batters of the inning reached safely for Georgia College, who broke the 1-1 stalemate on Carly Lewis' RBI double. A bunt single from Caroline Snider allowed another run to cross, while a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch made it a 4-1 lead. Flanders, Shawnda Martin and Holland Coursey added RBIs later in the inning to help Georgia College storm out to an 8-1 lead.
 
After stranding a pair of base runners in the bottom of the third, the Lady Railsplitters plated two runs and cut the Bobcat lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth on run-scoring hits by Hunter and Couch.
 
But the Bobcats got a run back in the next inning on a solo home run from Coursey.
 
Lincoln Memorial would get just one hit over the final three innings, a double by Allie Jones (Ooltewah, Tenn.), as the Bobcats cruised to the 9-3 victory.
 
Kenzie Dixon (Church Hill, Tenn.) made the start for the Lady Railsplitters, but was chased from the game after allowing six runs and five hits over one inning of work. Smith threw 5 1/3 innings in relief, surrendering seven hits with just one earned run and four strikeouts over that span.
 
Couch accounted for three of the Lady Railsplitters' five hits, recording a double, an RBI and a run scored. Jones and Hunter chipped in the other two hits.
 
Holland Coursey led the Bobcats' 13-hit outburst with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate that included two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
The loss drops Lincoln Memorial to 5-10 all-time against Georgia College and denies the program of its first win over the Bobcats since 2011.
 
Next up, the Lady Railsplitters travel to Nashville, Tenn. on Tuesday to take on the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans in an NCAA Division II doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.