HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lady Railsplitters earned a pair of run-rule victories over Midway on Friday at Dorothy Neely Field.
 
Lincoln Memorial (18-8), which moved to 12-1 over its last 13 games with the sweep, scored nine unanswered runs behind a trio of home runs to take a 9-1 win in six innings in game one.
 
The Lady Railsplitters then shutout the Eagles (8-13) and scored seven runs over the final two innings to complete the sweep with an 8-0 six-inning win in the nightcap.
 
Lincoln Memorial is back in action on Tuesday, March 27 when the Carson-Newman Eagles invade Dorothy Neely Field for a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 9, Midway 1 (6 innings)
 
Teddi Collins hit her first and second home runs of the season while Ashlea Hunter connected on a three-run dinger to power an 11-hit run-rule victory. Kelsie Hocutt added a pair of hits with two RBI and a double, while Becca Burchette chipped in two singles.
 
Brianna Taylor was rock solid in the circle, limiting the Eagles to just five hits and one earned run over six innings of action. The senior righty struck out five and walked one to move to 8-5 on the season.
 
Kelsey Gravens led the Midway attack with two singles and a run scored. Lynsie Clark had the team's only extra-base hit with a double in the top of the sixth.
 
The Eagles struck first in the top of the second inning as Gravens led off with a single and scored two batters later on a groundout by Aliyah Johnson.
 
However, the Lady Railsplitters scored nine unanswered runs after that, beginning in the bottom of the second inning, as Hocutt and Kaitlyn Walker singled to set the stage for Hunter's three-run bomb.  
 
Lincoln Memorial tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth on Collins' first homer of the day – a solo shot over the wall in left field.
 
Two more runs came across in the fifth to put the run rule in play and then the Lady Railsplitters scored three in the sixth to clinch the six-inning victory. Hocutt drove in both runs in the fifth frame with a two-run, two-out double, while Collins kicked off the scoring in the sixth with a leadoff homer. Allie Jones ended the game with an RBI groundout.
 
The Lady Railsplitters hit .407 in the game compared to a .250 mark for Midway. Lincoln Memorial also batted .455 with runners on and .500 with runners in scoring position.
 
Hannah Poynter took the loss after allowing nine hits and six earned run with three strikeouts over 4.2 innings.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 8, Midway 0 (6 innings)
 
Grace Cochran went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, while Jones and Walker contributed two hits apiece as the Lady Railsplitters racked up 11 hits once again. Jones also drove in three runs, including one on the run-rule clinching double in the sixth.
 
The Eagles were limited to just four hits over six innings by sophomore righty Justice Smith, who moved to 10-3 on the season after matching her career-high mark with 10 strikeouts. Smith also didn't issue a walk in the contest and retired the last eight batters she faced.
 
In addition to its struggles at the plate, Midway committed three errors which led to three unearned runs.
 
Gravens again led the Eagles with two of the team's four hits including the lone extra-base knock.
 
Some heads up base running and a throwing error allowed Hocutt to score in the bottom of the second and give the Lady Railsplitters a lead they would not relinquish after she led off the inning by being hit by a pitch.
 
The score held at 1-0 in favor of LMU until the Lady Railsplitters broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. That frame was sparked in large part by a pair of errors before a two-run single by Cochran and a two-run double by Jones put the Lady Railsplitters in front 6-0.
 
Lincoln Memorial then ended the game in the sixth as Walker and Bella Buccellatto led off with singles. Cochran singled home Buccellato later in the inning before Jones dropped the run-rule clinching single over the left fielder's head with two outs in the frame.  
 
The Lady Railsplitters were again stellar at the plate, batting .379 in the game with a .417 clip with runners on base. Midway finished 4-for-22 (.182) and 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
 
Alyssa Yates was pegged with the loss after giving up 11 hits and five earned runs over 5.2 innings of action.