GAFFNEY, S.C. -- Despite fast starts in both games, the Lady Railsplitters (3-10) were kept in check offensively and swept by the Limestone Saints (7-3) in an NCAA Division II softball doubleheader on Sunday in Gaffney, S.C. Lincoln Memorial dropped game one 4-1 before falling by a final of 3-2 in game two.
 
The Lady Railsplitters are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Cleveland, Tenn. to take on the Lee Flames in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.  
 
Game One: Limestone 4, Lincoln Memorial 1
 
The Lincoln Memorial offense was clicking early, as Savannah Couch (Colonial Heights, Va.) led off the game with an infield single, Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) was plunked by a pitch, and Jennifer Moose (Statesville, N.C.) reached on an error to load the bases with one out in the top of the first. However, a pair of fielder's choices prevented the Lady Railsplitters from scoring that inning.
 
Lincoln Memorial would get on the board in the top of the second inning, though, as Kristen McAndrew (Belmont, N.C.) singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a base knock into right field by Becca Burchette (Gas City, Ind.). The Lady Railsplitters threatened to add more runs that inning with runners on first and second and only one out, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the frame with LMU leading 1-0.
 
It was the Saints' turn to load the bases in the home half of the second stanza following back-to-back one-out singles and a two-out hit-by-pitch. But LMU starting pitcher Brianna Taylor (Ooltewah, Tenn.) induced a fly out to center field to keep the Lady Railsplitters in the driver's seat.
 
That lead would disappear in Limestone's next plate appearance, though, as Caroline Hill put the Saints ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the third with a two-run home run, which scored Paige Bolding, who led off the inning by being hit by a pitch.
 
The fourth inning passed without consequence, but the Saints added two more runs to their total in the bottom of the fifth, as Bolding and Hill connected on consecutive singles and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before scoring on back-to-back sacrifice fly outs.
 
The Lady Railsplitters went down in order in the top of the sixth, but put a runner on with one out in the top of the seventh when Couch was hit by a pitch. However, two straight groundouts ended the game and gave Limestone the 4-1 victory.
 
Taylor (1-2) took the loss for Lincoln Memorial after surrendering two earned runs and four hits over four innings of work. Samantha Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) allowed only two hits without a run over 1 2/3 innings of relief work.
 
McAndrew and Moose led the Lady Railsplitters, who finished with six hits in the contest, with two hits apiece.
 
Klinnin Carson tossed a complete game for the Saints, striking out two and giving up just six hits over seven innings. Hill and Erika Hansen led the Limestone offense with two hits each.
 
Game Two: Limestone 3, Lincoln Memorial 2
 
The Lady Railsplitters jumped out to an early lead again in game two, as Couch was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the first, stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly out from Johnson. Lincoln Memorial had runners on first and second with one out after scoring that run, but a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning with the Lady Railsplitters leading 1-0.
 
The Saints answered right back in the home half of the first, though, when Hill hit her second home run of the game, a two-out solo blast that tied the game at 1-1. That marked the 13th home run allowed by LMU pitchers so far this season.
 
Both LMU's Smith and Limestone's Josie Weber traded zeros in the second and third innings, but the Saints took the lead in the bottom of the fourth frame. Hansen opened that inning by getting hit by a pitch, while Emma Swearingen doubled to put runners at second and third with one out. A RBI groundout from Abigail Williamson put Limestone ahead by one before Sam Thornton singled to make it a 3-1 game.
 
The Lady Railsplitters went down in 1-2-3 order in the fifth and stranded a runner at third base in the sixth, but they finally got something going offensively in the top of the seventh.
 
McAndrew led off that inning with an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch and went to third on Allie Jones' (Ooltewah, Tenn.) groundout. She then proceeded to score on a single from Teddi Collins (Germantown, Ohio), which cut the deficit to 3-2. Couch was walked in the next at-bat to put runners at first and second with only one out, but a pop out and a fly out left them stranded there and ended the game.
 
Smith suffered the hard-luck loss for the Lady Railsplitters after holding the Saints to just five hits and three runs over six innings of work, falling to 1-3 on the season in defeat.
 
Her counterpart Josie Weber improved to 4-1 with four strikeouts, two runs and four hits allowed over the complete-game performance.
 
Moose, Collins, McAndrew and BriAnna Schrimpf (Chandler, Ariz.) contributed the four hits for the Lady Railsplitters. Johnson went 0-for-1 at the plate but had two walks and one RBI. Couch also reached base twice with a hit-by-pitch and a walk.