HARROGATE, Tenn. — The rain beat down sporadically on the all-turf facility at Dorothy Neely Field Sunday.
 
The pair of visiting teams, Maryville and Walsh University, opened the tripleheader with ease, but it was the final two games —Lincoln Memorial University versus Maryville followed by LMU versus Walsh — when Mother Nature got tricky.
 
But it didn't hold the Lady Railsplitters, who combined for 23 hits in their doubleheader, back.
 
LMU (3-1) weathered the showers and brisk temperatures, edging Maryville 12-11 in the middle game before finishing off the trio-team tournament with a rout of Walsh, 12-4, in five innings.
 
In the opening game, McKenzie Henry and Emma Webb led the Lady Railsplitters, going 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of RBI and a double (Webb having two extra-base hits). Kelsie Hocutt followed with a 2-for-4 effort, two doubles and four RBI, while Ty-Kella Goins was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI and Sierra Hucklebee was 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.
 
The Lady Railsplitters scored 12 more runs in the second game powered behind Goins' 2-for-4 effort with two doubles and three RBI. Hucklebee stayed hot, smacking a double while batting in two RBI. Henry wasn't slowed down by the chilly weather, either, smashing a home run for two RBI. Kelsie Tuggle was 1-for-1 with a pair of RBI, and Savannah Daniel was 1-for-2 with a double and RBI in her first appearance this season.
 
Against Maryville, LMU scored 11 runs within the first three innings, but it was the one in the fourth that was the difference to hand the Saints (3-1) their first loss of the weekend.
 
For the second straight day, LMU jumped out to a quick lead, scoring seven run of those 11 runs in the first two frames combined. Goins jumpstarted LMU's five-run, six-hit — four being extra-base hits — first frame. The junior skipped a double through the right side, advancing on the throw, to set up Hucklebee for a chance to drive her in with a single.
 
The freshman did one better, sending a no-doubter over the left-field wall for her first-career home run. The Lady Railsplitters added onto that two-run lead as Hocutt ripped her first double into right field, plating Henry (single) and Webb (double).
 
Following an Allie Jones' walk, Maryville changed pitchers, but it didn't matter. Tuggle shot one through the left side, plating Hocutt, who stole for third, to cap the five-run inning.
 
The runs kept coming in the second inning as back-to-back doubles from Webb and Hocutt scored two more. Webb's extra-base hit sliced down the right-field line, scoring Huckblee, who drew a walk, while the sophomore crossed home via Hocutt's second double in as many frames.
 
The Saints cut into the Lady Railsplitter deficit with a four-run, four-hit top of the third, which featured a three-run homer from Samantha Hausl, but then LMU matched Maryville's production with a four-run frame of their own.
 
After that, the Railsplitters only saw one run scored compared to the Saints' seven, which made things interesting. The weather started catching up to LMU starting pitcher Bailey Griffith (2-0, W), who was having trouble gripping and locating pitches, so head coach Ritchie Richardson turned to his veteran Justice Smith (S, 1).
 
The junior inherited two runners, and then hit her first batter and allowed a hit, which scored a run to bring it within a run, but that's as close as Maryville got. Smith locked in and got the out when it mattered, striking out Brooke Livingston, who was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, to end the threat and secure the victory.
 
In the final game, Walsh (0-4) came out swinging, putting two runs up on freshman Faith Howe (W, 1-1), but that deficit was short lived.
 
A bases-loaded walk, hit by pitch and a Tuggle sacrifice fly put the Lady Railsplitters up for good. Henry added to the advantage in the bottom of the second, belting a two-run shot over the left-field wall for her first-career homer and 5-2 lead.
 
The juniors were warming up the playing field in the next inning. Daniel and Goins hit back-to-back doubles, and then Hucklebee laid down a perfect bunt to score a sliding Goins for the 8-2 third-frame lead. A four-run fourth inning — featuring a double from Goins and Hucklebee — gave the Lady Railsplitters enough cushion to end this one in the fifth inning, despite a two-run top half from Walsh, and secure the Sunday sweep.