HARTSVILLE, S.C. — It was a tough Saturday for the Lincoln Memorial University softball team.
 
The Lady Railsplitters were unable to get their bats going in a narrow 3-1 game one loss, while the roles were reserved in the next game as No. 18 LMU tallied eight hits but couldn't push them across, falling 4-2 in the South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Coker College.
 
The Cobras have been a historic tough matchup for the Lady Railsplitters as Coker holds the 6-10 overall series and have defeated LMU the last six of seven games. Lincoln Memorial has failed to win at Coker since splitting in 2015, and will look to bounce back at Tusculum in a 3 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday.
 
In the opening game, the Lady Railsplitters (28-10, 6-6 SAC) were in a one-run deficit early after Maria Williamson singled in Chloe Pelham, who reached on an error. The Cobras (27-11, 6-5) didn't see the scoreboard again until the fifth inning due to Justice Smith's command in the circle.
 
After a two-hit opening frame, the junior hurler didn't allow another one until the fifth, where the Cobras were able to tack on another run as Pelham tripled in the Maykayla Shore, who reached on a leadoff walk. Smith (L, 8-1) suffered her first loss of the season, though her stat line was efficient: five hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and a strikeout.
 
The Lady Railsplitters got a run back in the top of the sixth as Emma Webb (2-for-3) singled in Ty-Kella Goins, who was walked. Webb was the lone LMU player to connect on multiple hits, having two of the team's four total. Sierra Hucklebee (double) and Jacie Pittman were the other Lady Railsplitters as their hits led off the fourth and seventh innings, respectively, but the next three batters went down in order.
 
Once Webb's RBI single cut the deficit in half in the sixth, Coker matched the run in the bottom portion to re-take the two-run lead. Christine Carver (W, 8-6) pitched the first 5.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits while striking out four and walking on. Taylor Forehand (S, 6) followed with her conference-leading save, where two Lady Railsplitters knocked across a hit, but were unable to score as she also struck out three.
 
In the second game, the Cobras jumped out in front — scoring a run in the second and three more in the fifth — but McKenzie Henry finally got to Forehand (W, 6-1), who started the night cap after securing the save, when she blasted a two-run shot to start the sixth inning.
 
It was the freshman's 10th home run and first since she hit one versus Wingate March 16.
 
Even though Isabelle Mullen (1) came in and limited the Lady Railsplitters to just two hits, while striking out two over two innings, LMU had a better outing at the plate compared to the four-hit game one. Kelsie Hocutt and Goins each went 2-for-4 with Goins adding onto her conference-leading double total. Grace Cochran, Bella Buccellato, Kelsie Tuggle and Henry's home run combined for the eight-hit game two.
 
LMU connected for six hits on Forehand but struck out five hits and drew just one walk. The Lady Railsplitters also left nine on base plus five in the opening game, which has been their Achilles Heel. Starter Bailey Griffith (L, 10-6) went the distance, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out two and walking the same number in the second game; however, her offense was unable to do the rest.