JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – As their defensive unit continued its remarkable streak of 37 consecutive innings without a single run given up, the 4^th-ranked Lincoln Memorial University softball team hoisted its winning streak up to 12 on Tuesday afternoon visiting arch-rival Carson-Newman, shutting out the Eagles twice to achieve their sixth South Atlantic Conference sweep in a row.

Not only have the Lady Railsplitters (24-1, 13-1 SAC) tossed aside their last six opponents since their only loss of the season three weeks ago, but Head Coach Ritchie Richardson's squad has outscored Mars Hill, Queens, and C-N by a combined margin of 43-0 over the past three doubleheaders, shutting out all three of those challengers twice each to set a new program record for the best start to a season in school history.

Blanking the Eagles on the scoreboard while only letting one hit slide in Game 1, LMU and AstroTurf SAC Pitcher of the Week Emma Frost locked down their in-state rival in the opener for a 2-0 victory. That theme rolled over into the second half of Tuesday's DH in Jefferson City, only with more firepower on the blue and gray's side, contributing to a 7-0 decision that pushed the Lady Railsplitters' road record to the same figure as their overall conference resume at 13-1.
 
Game 1 – No. 4 Lincoln Memorial def. Carson-Newman 2-0
 
All that LMU needed to grab the opening W of the afternoon was a solo homer from second baseman Ty-Kella Goins in the very first at-bat and a Madison Henry RBI-double in the top of the 7^th inning to provide some breathing room. Of the Lady Railsplitters' four hits in the Game 1 triumph, half came from senior outfielder Bella Buccellato while the team's two lead-off batters, Goins and Henry, provided the rest.

Goins' 1^st-inning bullet was the graduate's fourth homer of the year and her second of the 2021 campaign to open up a game by putting LMU in front 1-0. The right field bomb served as the team's 19^th HR of the spring.

Two days after dominating Bluefield State in non-conference competition by a 27-0 doubleheader margin, the Eagles never could find a seam past Frost and the Lady Railsplitter infield unit. LMU's sophomore ace fanned eight batters in the two-run win while surrendering only her second hit in the past 18 innings of work next to just one walk.

In one of the more restrained offensive performances of the year for the blue and gray, the Lady Railsplitters made up for their somewhat stagnant hitting by playing a nearly perfect outing on the defensive end, aiding them towards their fifth consecutive win over Carson-Newman. The sixth was soon to follow in the second half of the one-sided DH.

Shortstop Leah Sohm was the only C-N performer to prevent a no-hitter for the Lady Railsplitter defense, while Frost moved to 10-1 individually in yet another sterling showing in the circle.
 
Game 2 – No. 4 Lincoln Memorial def. Carson-Newman 7-0
 
The Eagles were able to find a bit more rhythm as Game 2 trudged along, although it was never enough to end the Lady Railsplitters' ongoing 37-inning streak of not letting any runs slip away. Junior Bailey Griffith stayed undefeated in her personal record of 8-0, while getting plenty of run support on the LMU batting order to come away with a seven-run discrepancy once all was said and done.

For the day, Buccellato would finish 4-5 at the plate to lead the blue and gray in the hits department. After failing to reach a hit in the opener, first baseman Emma Webb crushed Carson-Newman in the closer off the back of three RBI in a 3-4 effort at-bat.

Four different Lady Railsplitters totaled more than one hit in the lopsided Game 2, including Henry and junior Sierra Hucklebee, who tallied a pair of RBI. The Eagles inadvertently assisted LMU to their first run of the contest in the top of the 3^rd frame, throwing a wild pitch with the bases juiced to fall behind 1-0.

Starting both games in the sweep, C-N pitcher Lacie Rinus threw 12 full innings on Tuesday, tossing 225 balls while also pulling double duty by lining up to bat in the seventh spot on both occasions. Giving up the first three Lady Railsplitter runs in the closer, Rinus let a two-RBI double from Webb race down the middle of the field in the top of the 4^th inning to push the deficit to 3-0 before finally earning a rest two periods later.

LMU saved its most productive inning for the finale of Game 2, reeling off four unanswered runs in the seventh stanza to put the nail in the coffin. A fielder's choice scenario allowed leftfielder Sami West to get that flurry started, before a Hucklebee triple and Webb's second double of the day stretched the lead up to seven where it would stay.

Maintaining its grip on the top spot in the South Atlantic Conference standings, the Lady Railsplitters began their three-game road trip in commanding fashion, gathering 15 hits and nine runs altogether in their ninth sweep of the 2021 season.
 
Up Next
 
After securing its second 12-game winning streak of the season, LMU stays on the road this weekend for another conference series against the Coker Cobras in Hartsville, South Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Hoping to improve their 6-10 all-time record against CU, the Lady Railsplitters will aim to avenge back-to-back losses to the Cobras in the spring of 2019 by a 3-1 and 4-2 difference.

Splitting last weekend's DH with Tusculum to stay at an even .500 on the year, Coker awaits a road trip to Wingate on Wednesday before then hosting Limestone just 24 hours later. The Cobras bounced back from a 3-0 Game 1 setback against the Pioneers to win via mercy rule in the closer, achieving a 10-1 victory.

Game times on Saturday from Hartsville are scheduled for 1:00 and 3:00 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 2021 season.