MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Lady Railsplitters (2-0) combined for 21 hits and opened the 2017 season by sweeping the Mount Olive Trojans (2-2) on Sunday afternoon at Cassell Field.
 
Lincoln Memorial pounded out 10 hits in an 8-4 win in game one before racking up 11 hits in a 6-3 triumph in game two, while three LMU pitchers combined to limit Mount Olive to just seven total runs. The Trojans compiled 25 combined run in a sweep over Virginia State on Saturday.
 
The Lady Railsplitters are back in action on Wednesday, February 8 as they welcome Lees-McRae to Dorothy Neely Field for the home opener. Game one of that doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 8, Mount Olive 4
 
Freshmen Ty-Kella Goins (Ramseur, N.C.) and Dakotah Fraley (Walkersville, Md.) drove in runs with their first career hits, while Allie Jones (Ooltewah, Tenn.) slashed a go-ahead three-run double as part of a five-run outburst in the top of the seventh to lead Lincoln Memorial to victory.
 
The win was the Lady Railsplitters' first in its season opener since the 2014 season.
 
Kelsie Hocutt (Wendell, N.C.), who had just six hits during her injury-plagued freshman season, went 3-for-4 at the plate – all singles - with a pair of runs scored to lead the Lady Railsplitters' 10-hit effort. Fraley went 2-for-4 with two RBI in her debut, while Goins and Jones combined to drive in five runs. Jennifer Moose (Statesville, N.C.) went hitless in the contest, but drew three walks and scored twice while adding a stolen base.
 
The offense provided plenty of support for junior Brianna Taylor (Ooltewah, Tenn.), who allowed 10 hits and three earned runs while striking out two in the complete-game performance. Taylor battled from start to finish, stranding six Trojans on base to move to 1-0.
 
The Trojans drew first blood with a two-out rally in the bottom of the third, as Charlene Thompson singled and scored on a base knock from Kristin Power. But the Lady Railsplitters returned the favor in the visitor's half of the fourth, as Hocutt sparked a two-out rally with a single and scored on Fraley's first career hit and RBI.
 
The game remained tied until Moose and Jones worked their way on base with two-out walks in the top of the fifth frame. Goins capitalized on that opportunity and doubled to score both runners. Goins was thrown out at third trying to stretch her first career hit into a triple.
 
Mount Olive tied the game again in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double from Anna Ingram and had a chance to do further damage with the potential go-ahead run on second. However, Taylor struck out Alexis Hobson and forced Danielle Myers to ground out to keep it all square.
 
The Lady Railsplitters took the lead for good in the top of the seventh, as BriAnna Schrimpf (Chandler, Ariz.) and Ashlea Hunter (Woodruff, S.C.) singled in back-to-back at-bats. A bunt moved both runners into scoring position for Moose, who the Trojans opted to intentionally walk to load the bases. That decision proved costly as Jones cleared the bases with a double to right field to make it a 6-3 lead for LMU.
 
Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) and Fraley added RBI singles later in the inning to increase the Lady Railsplitters' lead to 8-3. The Trojans scored a run in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Kayla Allen, but that was the extent of the damage.
 
Caitlin Ewers took the loss for Mount Olive after allowing six hits and five runs in two innings of relief work. Karen Foley made the start and lasted five innings, giving up four hits and three runs with four walks over that span.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 6, Mount Olive 3
 
Playing just 35 miles from her hometown of Kenly, N.C., senior Meredith Johnson drove in a game-high three runs, including the go-ahead runs in the top of the fifth, to propel the Lady Railsplitters to victory.
 
All nine LMU starters recorded at least one hit in the game. Moose had a pair of singles out of the lead-off spot, while Hunter had two hits with an RBI double. Schrimpf drove in two runs, while Goins and Hocutt scored twice.
 
In addition to her offensive contributions, Hocutt played a major role on the mound, tossing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts in her first career pitching appearance. She allowed just two hits in relief of freshman Justice Smith (Rockmart, Ga.), who picked up the win in her college debut. Smith gave up seven hits and three runs with three strikeouts over four innings of work.
 
The Trojans scored a run on a two-out single in the bottom of the first to take the early lead, which held up momentarily while Lincoln Memorial tried to find its footing offensively.
 
The Lady Railsplitters wouldn't get their first hit until Hunter singled in the top of the third. Lincoln Memorial would go scoreless that inning, but grabbed its first lead of the game in the visitor's half of the fourth on a two-run single from Schrimpf, which scored Jones, who doubled, and Fraley, who got on base with a walk. Schrimpf scored in the next at-bat on a double by Hunter to put the Lady Railsplitters ahead 3-1.
 
Mount Olive responded in the home half of the fourth and tied the game with back-to-back run-scoring singles from Jennibeth Burge and Thompson, but the Lady Railsplitters regained the lead in the fifth.
 
Moose singled to lead off that inning, while Hocutt doubled to put runners at second and third for Johnson, who ripped a singled down the right-field line to put Lincoln Memorial back in front 5-3.
 
Hocutt found herself in a jam in the bottom of the fifth after hitting Ingram and walking Myers, but wiggled out of trouble by inducing a groundout and a strikeout.
 
The Lady Railsplitters then added to their lead in the top of the seventh, as Goins singled and scored on a sacrifice fly out from Johnson.
 
Kylie Ward made the start for Mount Olive, allowing five hits and two runs over 5 2/3 innings of work before giving way to Emily Chaisson. The Lady Railsplitters tagged Chaisson with the loss, notching six hits and three earned runs off of her in just 1 1/3 innings of relief.
 
With the sweep, Lincoln Memorial remained unbeaten in the all-time series against Mount Olive, improving to 4-0 against the Trojans in the first meeting between the two programs since 2006.