DAHLONEGA, Ga. – What was once a 10-game winning streak for the No. 7 Lincoln Memorial University Softball program has now turned into a four-game losing streak following Saturday afternoon's doubleheader sweep at the hands of No. 9 North Georgia in a battle between two top-ten squads.

The Nighthawks forced the Lady Railsplitters (11-5, 0-2) into a season-low six hits in a 5-1 decision across the opening game, transitioning into a 12-4 mercy rule blowout in the nightcap.

Lincoln Memorial will have one final chance at retribution over UNG on Sunday afternoon for a Game 3 matchup, slated for a 12:00 opening pitch.
 
Game 1 – No. 9 North Georgia def. No. 7 Lincoln Memorial 5-1
 
The Lady Railsplitters, after combining for 14 runs in Wednesday's SAC-opening setback at Anderson three nights earlier, were stymied by the Nighthawks (19-3, 0-0) in the teams' first encounter in three years, only able to muster a single run, occurring in the top of the sixth inning.

By that point, LMU was already in a three-run hole, thanks to one score each in the second, fourth, and fifth periods. After an unproductive opening frame, North Georgia broke the silence on an RBI single up the middle, offering another run two innings later on a left side double.

After the Lady Railsplitters suffered their second consecutive 1-2-3 inning offensively, the Nighthawks capitalized in the bottom of the fifth, making it 3-0 UNG on another RBI-double, this time to right center.

LMU was at last able to stir up some bases in the sixth stanza, thanks to a single and double in back-to-back at-bats by Emma Webb and McKenzie Henry. This left the door open for junior catcher Audrey Petoskey to pop in a sacrifice fly ball for the team's first, and only, score of the entire first outing.

With some room to work with following their lone score, the Lady Railsplitters weren't able to seize the advantage thanks to consecutive outs via a strikeout and ground ball to close out the sixth. The Nighthawks put an exclamation point on the game later in that same inning with a pair of runs via RBI-doubles. Lincoln Memorial would go 1-2-3 at the plate for the third time in the game to finalize the four-run defeat in the top of the seventh.

Webb's 2-3 performance at bat was the only consistent force for LMU in the loss. Senior Justice Smith took the L in the circle, pitching over five innings with four strikeouts next to nine hits. Faith Howe would manage the final out of the contest, since the Nighthawks were not needed at bat in the seventh frame.
 
Game 2 – No. 9 North Georgia def. No. 7 Lincoln Memorial 12-4 (5)
 
Having already achieved four of their 11 wins by virtue of the mercy rule, the Lady Railsplitters were handed a defeat by that same method in the second part of Saturday's doubleheader, giving up 14 hits, only able to reach half of that mark themselves with 7.

With all three bases filled in the game's opening inning, Lincoln Memorial missed out on a chance to get ahead early, seeing two straight batters fly out and strike out to leave all runners stranded. North Georgia instead was the one to strike first, scoring after a ground out.

LMU came to life in the top of the third, reeling off four unanswered runs to suddenly take a commanding lead. Sophomore shortstop Sierra Hucklebee landed a 2-RBI double to score Ty-Kella Goins and Grace Cochran. Three batters later, Petoskey slammed her fifth home run of the season, which also scored McKenzie Henry.

Immediately, the Nighthawks answered right back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third to snatch the lead right back from the Lady Railsplitters.

As all bases were occupied with no outs, an RBI-single got the rally started. The very next batter offered up a sacrifice fly ball to inch within one run. With a chance to escape the inning still with the lead intact, LMU couldn't do so, instead letting a 2-RBI single get by to surge UNG back ahead, 5-4.

This began a downward spiral for the blue and gray, watching a 4-0 run turn into a stunning 11-0 surge thanks to a seven-score bottom of the fourth.

Powering in seven hits in a single inning, the Nighthawks homered twice in four batters, scoring a total of five runs to emphatically gain even more distance. Already in front 10-4, two more RBI-singles put the icing on the cake for the eight-run, five-inning blowout.

It was a nightmarish afternoon at the pitching spot for sophomore Bailey Griffith, who gave up 10 runs next to 11 hits in only three innings of work. Howe would serve as the reliever for the second straight time, throwing the final period of the loss.

North Georgia has now defeated Lincoln Memorial eight consecutive times. The last LMU victory in the series was in 2014, when they bested UNG in the Peach State, 8-6.
 
Up Next
 
Getting outgained in total 17-5 for their third and fourth straight losses, the Lady Railsplitters will have one more crack at North Georgia to close out a grueling week of action.

Staying in Dahlonega for the weekend trifecta, LMU will take on the Nighthawks for the third time Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
 
How to Follow
 
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms —@LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram — for more LMU softball coverage across the 2020 season.