HARROGATE, Tenn. — With four regular-season games remaining in South Atlantic Conference play, the Lincoln Memorial University softball team has the ultimate destiny within striking distance.
 
After the Lady Railsplitters (31-11, 9-7 SAC) used a 3-1 record over the past week of conference games — a split with Tusculum and a huge sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne — to get out of an inconsistent funk, it took LMU out of fifth place and into a four-way tie for first place.
 
Of the three other teams in the top seed, two are a pair the Lady Railsplitters are set to face over the next four games: Anderson (27-17, 9-7) at Dorothy Neely Field Wednesday and a road trip to Catawba (22-17, 9-7) for the regular-season finale Saturday. The other is Newberry, who the Lady Railsplitters split with in March.  
 
The Basics
Wednesday, April 17 vs. Anderson University — 2 & 4 p.m.
Live Stats (Game One / Game Two)
Video
 
Quick Hits
-As the regular season winds down, there are several single-season records to keep an eye on for several Lady Railsplitters. Ty-Kella Goins, who is third in the nation and first in the SAC behind her 18 doubles, is currently tied sixth with Brittney Walker (2006) for the most doubles in a single season. Walker actually holds the record for the most doubles in a single season with her 26, which she accomplished in 2007.

-McKenzie Henry is currently second in the conference with her 49 RBI, which is good for the sixth-most RBI in an LMU single-season. The freshman catcher is eight away from tying Sara Henn's 57 RBI and is nine away from breaking the 2008 single-season record. Henry is ranked fourth in the SAC behind her 11 home runs, which is 12th most in an LMU single-season. She needs five more to tie Walker's single-season record set in 2007 and six to take over as the leader.
 
-Not only is the freshman clutch at the plate, she also holds the record for the most runners picked off with six so far this season, surpassing Lacy Serman (2002) and her current graduate assistant coach Jennifer Moose (2017), who each had three apiece. Henry is also in a three-way tie with Devin Sponseller (2010) and Jordyn Wilson (2012) for catching the most stealing with 12 runners.
 
-In 2018, Bella Buccellato was hit by a pitch nine times, which was tied for the ninth most in a single-season. This season, the sophomore has been pegged a team-high 14 times — for a three-way tie for third — that is the most in the conference and 10th in the nation. If she wears a pitch two more times, she will tie the most in a single season with Savannah Couch (2016).
 
-The newly announced SAC Astroturf Player of the Week in Sierra Hucklebee, who went 8-for-13 with a .615 batting average and .667 on-base percentage over a crucial four-game stretch, is currently tied for third for the most sacrifice hits in a single season behind her 13. Three more would tie with Deanna Huthchen (1988), while the magic number 17 would put her as the single-season leader as a rookie.
 
-Bailey Griffith's four saves this season have her at the third best in a single season, along with Cierra Mudd (2011) and Walker (2007). Danielle Scott holds the most in nine saves, which is a single-season record set in 2004.
 
-All of these efforts have gone into the Lady Railsplitters' standout season, which has a lot more to be written. As a team, Lincoln Memorial still heads the conference in several categories as it is first in runs (286), doubles (97), RBI (257), extra-base hits (140), walks (149), hit-by-pitch (42) and on-base percentage (.415). The Lady Railsplitters are also second in slugging percentage (.513), batting average (.321), sacrifice hits (37) and hits (360), while being fourth in home runs (33).
 
Know the Opponent
-The Trojans have been on a tear, winning the last four straight, including sweeps of Queens and Mars Hill.  In the previous four conference doubleheaders against Catawba, Carson-Newman, Lenoir-Rhyne and Tusculum, Anderson split all of them after getting swept by Newberry in the SAC opener.
 
-In those four sweeps, the Trojans have allowed just two runs — one in each of the wins against Mars Hill — while shutting out Queens in 3-0 and 6-0 victories. A pair of sophomore pitchers in Kayla Pepper (12-11) and Harlie Duncan (15-6) have carried the load for Anderson through 44 games. Pepper has a 2.54 ERA through 140.2 inning pitched with 129 strikeouts, while Duncan sports a 2.50 ERA over 137.0 innings pitched and 109 KOs. Freshman Kayson Boatner has seen limited time, pitching just seven innings with a pair of strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA.
 
-At the plate, the Trojans are paced by Joshlyn Martin and her conference fifth-best .397 batting average. The senior has a team-high 54 hits in 136 at-bats to just nine strikeouts, while also having the most doubles (15), triples (five) and is tied for second with her 34 RBI.
 
-Boatner, who mentioned above has seen limited time in the circle, has been quite the addition offensively as her team-high 12 home runs is third in the SAC and her 43 RBI are fourth best. She also has a second-team best 45 hits, while Meghan Majeski is second in the conference with 16 stolen bases and her teammate Kasey Grant is tied for fourth behind her 13.
 
-As a team, the Trojans are first in triples (17) and third in runs (238), RBI (213), extra-base hits (107) and ERA (2.53). Anderson is also second in shutouts (eight), batting average against (.230) and hit-by-pitch (36), while being fourth in hits (337), doubles (64) and stolen bases (39).
 
Head-to-Head
-With everything within the Lady Railsplitters' control, they will attempt to take down a red-hot Anderson team with massive ramifications regarding how the SAC regular season pans out. Since 2007, LMU is 11-12 versus the Trojans, last defeating them in a, 4-2, win while dropping 4-3 in the first game of the doubleheader a year ago.
 
-The previous and only time LMU swept Anderson was back in 2011, an 8-2 and 6-3 victory, which was a part of a four-game winning streak against the Trojans. Those pair of victories came on LMU's home field as the Lady Railsplitters attempt to repeat history and clear up the top of the conference a little bit Wednesday at Dorothy Neely Field.