HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial softball team snapped out of its offensive funk in the nightcap of a doubleheader against Milligan to open the doors at the new Dorothy Neely Field with a split on Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Railsplitters (2-4) were shutout for the first time this season in a 1-0 loss in game one before uncorking a season-high for hits and runs in a 10-2 five-inning win over the Buffaloes (1-1) in game two.
Lincoln Memorial is right back in action on Wednesday afternoon when the King Tornado pay a visit to Dorothy Neely Field for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Game One: Milligan 1, Lincoln Memorial 0
The Lady Railsplitters could not muster any offense against Milligan starter Kassi Butcher, who allowed just four hits and struck out four to pick up the win in the Buffaloes' season opener.
Lincoln Memorial's offensive drought spoiled another brilliant outing from senior pitcher
Brianna Taylor, who gave up just one run on four hits while striking out a season-high seven batters. Taylor fell to 1-2 on the season with the hard-luck loss.
Milligan scratched for the only run of the contest in the top of the fourth when Kaylee Frascatore led off with a double and scored on Erica Roller's double two batters later.
The Lady Railsplitters never really threatened until the bottom of the seventh as
Allie Jones led off with a single before
Kelsie Hocutt doubled to left field to put runners on second and third with only one out. However, a line out and a groundout ended the threat and the game.
Two of LMU's four hits came in the seventh inning. The Lady Railsplitters' only other hits came in the bottom of the second on singles from
Ashlea Hunter and
Teddi Collins.
The loss ended Lincoln Memorial's eight-game winning streak against Milligan and represents the Buffaloes' first win over the Lady Railsplitters since 2009.
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 10, Milligan 2 (Five Innings)
After combining for just one run in the previous two games, the Lady Railsplitters' bats came to life in the back end of Tuesday's doubleheader. Lincoln Memorial piled up a season-high 12 hits to push a season-high 10 runs across the plate and invoke the run rule.
Four different players had multiple hits in the contest, led by
Justice Smith's 3-for-3 day that included a double and an RBI. Smith also picked up her first win of the season in the circle by surrendering only four hits and two earned runs while posting five strikeouts in five innings of work.
Savannah Daniel went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while
Ty-Kella Goins drove home a run and scored another as part of a 2-for-4 effort.
Jacie Pittman went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI.
Emma Webb also brought two runs in and scored another as part of a 1-for-3 outing.
Four pitchers made an appearance in the contest for Milligan. Cayley Shoemaker was saddled with the loss after serving up five hits and five runs (3 earned) in an inning of action.
The Lady Railsplitters jumped all over the Buffaloes in the bottom of the first, taking the lead on Pittman's triple. Jones brought another run across on a sacrifice fly out before Hocutt hammered the first home run at the new Dorothy Neely Field with a solo shot over the left-field wall.
A two-out throwing error helped Lincoln Memorial push two more runs across in the bottom of the second to extend the lead to 5-0.
Milligan briefly trimmed the deficit with a two-run third inning, but the Lady Railsplitters blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth with a four-run outburst. Webb got things going with a two-out, two-run double before a dropped fly ball allowed Webb to score. Smith then capped the scoring with an RBI single back up the middle.
The Lady Railsplitters then ended the game early in the bottom of the fifth, when Daniel led off with a triple to right field and scored on a successful suicide squeeze by Goins.
Lincoln Memorial batted .462 in the contest and went 6-for-15 with runners on base. In addition to that, the Lady Railsplitters were 6-for-12 with two outs.
