Box Score DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Faced with their toughest week of the 2020 season to this point, which had amounted to four straight losses, the No. 7 Lincoln Memorial University softball team put an end to that trend Sunday afternoon, defeating North Georgia on the road in a third matchup between two top-ten programs.

The Lady Railsplitters (12-5, 0-2) still struggled on the offensive side of the field, with 10 batters striking out next to only two hits for the entire game. This time around, however, the LMU defense was just as crisp as the Nighthawks, shutting out No. 9 UNG to get the last laugh in the series, 1-0.

After getting outscored by a combined margin of 17-5 in Saturday's back-to-back losses to North Georgia, Lincoln Memorial at last put their four-game losing streak to bed, largely thanks to the performance of freshman pitcher Emma Frost and an unwavering infield performance.
 
Game 3 – No. 7 Lincoln Memorial def. No. 9 North Georgia 1-0
 
LMU was only able to squeeze two hits by the Nighthawks (19-4, 0-0) for the day, one in the third inning and another in the seventh, although the former was the only one needed for the Lady Railsplitters to pick up their 12^th victory of the season and emerge victorious for the first time in a week and five appearances.

Getting themselves out of a major situation in the bottom of the second, Lincoln Memorial managed to send three straight UNG batters back to the dugout with runners on second and third base to preserve, what was at the time, a scoreless tie.

Two strikeouts from Frost, with a ground out forced by Sierra Hucklebee sandwiched in between, allowed LMU to take their turn at bat once more, where they had been stagnant up to that point. All they needed was one window of opportunity to secure their first and only run of the afternoon.

Junior outfielder Bella Buccellato would trot to first base thanks to a walk. Then, while senior Ty-Kella Goins was upping the pitch count, Buccellato sprinted to steal second base. This opened the door for Goins, a preseason All-South Atlantic Conference first team member, to grab a right field double, sending Buccellato to home plate for the game's only RBI.

Frost and Hucklebee were once again instrumental in getting the Nighthawk batting order over in a hurry, with the freshman pitcher striking another out, before hauling a ground out over the next player up. Hucklebee then mirrored her play from the previous inning to force UNG into a 1-2-3 frame.

With the Lady Railsplitters unable to seize any offensive momentum, their defense more than made up for it, getting out of another jam in the bottom of the fifth. As the Nighthawks threatened with two runners on second and third base, Hucklebee again corralled a ground ball to send North Georgia packing once more.

Even when LMU went 1-2-3 for a third straight inning in the sixth, the Nighthawks couldn't take advantage, instead seeing themselves go the same route, opening the door for Lincoln Memorial to complete the shutout win.

A single up the middle from junior catcher Audrey Petoskey signified the Lady Railsplitters' second hit of the contest, which ultimately wouldn't result in another score thanks to a North Georgia double play. Despite an initial scare in the bottom of the seventh, LMU held on to grab their first win over a nationally-ranked program in an already-productive season.

In the previous inning, Goins single-handedly ensured UNG's quick exit, catching three straight pop-ups. She would do the same to the first batter in the seventh stanza, before Frost captured her third ground out of the day to signal the second out.

The next batter would manage a right side single, and after a pinch runner was substituted in, the Nighthawks were able to utilize a stolen base to make the Lady Railsplitters a bit uneasy. In the end, Frost struck out her fifth batter of the day for the game's final out, bringing her personal total to 4-1 upon pitching the entire outing.

Despite only going 2-22 collectively on Sunday, LMU remarkably held onto the one-score victory, avenging the previous day's losses to North Georgia for their second win via shutout of 2020. Lincoln Memorial also held West Virginia State scoreless in Harrogate back on February 9^th, 8-0 in six innings.
 
Up Next
 
With a small measure of confidence regained following their first true road win of the season in five attempts, the Lady Railsplitters, still in the midst of their 13-game stretch away from home, visit King University on Wednesday, March 4^th for a non-conference doubleheader in Bristol, Tennessee.

The Tornado have already competed against five other schools from the South Atlantic Conference this year, having traveled to Coker Sunday. In the 2019 campaign, Lincoln Memorial completed a sweep over King at Dorothy Neely Field, winning 9-4 and 9-7 as part of a 12-game winning streak.

The opening pitch will take place at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, before Game 2 gets underway at approximately 3:00.
 
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.