HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters (21-26, 9-11 SAC) close out the regular season and celebrate the career of their lone senior Samantha Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) on Saturday with a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader against the Newberry Wolves (28-18, 9-11 SAC) beginning at 2 p.m. at Dorothy Neely Field.
 
Schedule/Game Day Links:
 
Saturday, April 23 vs. Newberry - Doubleheader at 2 p.m. Live Stats/Video
 
Quick Hits:
-Smith threw back-to-back complete-game shutouts to help Lincoln Memorial sweep a doubleheader from the Mars Hill Lions on Wednesday afternoon. Smith six-hit the Lions in game one, while Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) drove in the lone run of the contest with an RBI groundout to lead the way in a 1-0 win, which gave LMU head coach Natalie Layden the 100th win of her career. In game two, Smith threw another six-hitter, while Jennifer Moose (Statesville, N.C.) went 4 for 4 with two home runs in a 5-0 win, which gave Lincoln Memorial its first SAC sweep since March 29. The two wins also secured the Lady Railsplitters' spot in the SAC Championship field, assuring that they finish no worse than eighth place.
-In coordination with the final home games of the regular season, the Lady Railsplitters will honor their lone senior - Samantha Smith - during a pre-game ceremony. Smith - a right-handed pitcher from nearby Knoxville, Tennessee - has been a staple for Lincoln Memorial in her four-year tenure in the Blue and Gray, amassing 137 appearances with a 57-44 record and 366 strikeouts. Smith is the program's all-time leader in career appearances while ranking fourth in wins, saves and strikeouts. For her career, Smith has allowed opponents to hit just .282, which is the seventh-lowest in program history.
-Moose has been on an absolute tear for the Lady Railsplitters of late, recording multiple hits in four of her last five games. The Statesville, North Carolina native hit two home runs in game two against Mars Hill, driving her season total to nine. That is the most home runs by a Lady Railsplitter in a single season since Amanda Snow hit 12 home runs in 2013. Moose is ranked 15th in the SAC in batting average (.366), 17th in on-base percentage (.415) and fourth in slugging percentage (.627). In SAC play alone, Moose leads the league in slugging percentage with an .806 clip.
-The Lady Railsplitters are 6-4 at home this season, but have lost three of their last four games at Dorothy Neely Field. In their last home appearance, the Lady Railsplitters split with Carson-Newman, losing game one 3-0 before bouncing back with an 8-0 win in game two. Prior to that, Lincoln Memorial was swept by Catawba by scores of 3-1 and 13-0.
-Johnson has hit safely in seven of her last nine games while sporting a current four-game hitting streak. The junior first baseman went 2 for 5 in that doubleheader sweep at Mars Hill and drove in the winning run in game one. Since her hot streak began, Johnson has lifted her batting average from .242 to .270.
 
Notes on the Wolves:
-Newberry enters the final doubleheader of the regular season tied with Lincoln Memorial and two other teams for fifth place in the SAC standings with a 9-11 league record. The Wolves are playing well at the right time, too, with wins in four of their last five games. Newberry most recently swept a doubleheader from Coker on Tuesday, winning by scores of 4-1 and 8-0.
-The Wolves are a solid offensive team that ranks fourth in the SAC in batting average (.284) and on-base percentage (.364) while ranking third in total hits with 344. Newberry hasn't displayed a whole lot of power, though, ranking 10th in the league in extra-base hits with 77 and eighth in home runs with 19. A patient approach at the plate has helped the Wolves produce that solid on-base clip, as Newberry has drawn the third-most walks in the SAC with 128. They haven't been nearly as good offensively in SAC play, though, sporting a .252/.326/.348 slash line.
-The Wolves' offense is powered by junior outfielder Christina Linton and junior infielder Hailey Drawe. Linton is batting .399 this season with 11 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 29 RBI, while Drawe is hitting .345 with nine doubles, two triples and two home runs. Freshman Natalie Willis is third on the team in total hits with 31, but is batting just .265. Senior Maude McCourry is hitting .303 with nine doubles, two home runs and 23 RBI. Senior catcher Jeri Loffler has driven in 17 runs this season.
-Newberry has paired a relatively productive offense with a solid pitching staff that ranks fourth in the SAC in earned run average (2.28) and sixth in batting average against (.233). McCourry and Devon Morrison have thrown the bulk of the innings for the Wolves. McCourry is 15-8 this season with a 2.10 ERA and 101 strikeouts over 149 1/3 innings. Morrison, meanwhile, is 10-9 with a 2.14 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 117 2/3 innings.
-The Wolves have struggled on the road this season with a 6-10 record outside of Newberry. The Wolves are 2-4 in their last six road games.
 
Series History:
-The Lady Railsplitters are 11-8 all-time against Newberry, but the Wolves swept last season's doubleheader in Newberry, South Carolina, winning by scores of 9-1 and 4-3. Prior to that, Lincoln Memorial had won seven straight games in the series.
-The Lady Railsplitters are 6-2 all-time at Dorothy Neely Field against the Wolves with a stretch of four straight home wins in the series. Lincoln Memorial hasn't lost a home game to Newberry since splitting a series in Harrogate in 2010.