HARROGATE, Tenn. – The No. 13-ranked Lincoln Memorial University softball program opened their 2022 season on a sunny February afternoon inside the Dorothy Neely Complex, sweeping the Mountain Lions of Young Harris off the back of an Emma Frost no-hitter and a specular offensive performance in the latter half of the doubleheader.
 
Game 1 – No. 13 Lincoln Memorial def. Young Harris 3-0
 
Junior Lady Railsplitter ace Emma Frost stepped into the circle for LMU to begin the 2022 season after hurling one of the most prolific seasons in program history during her sophomore campaign. Frost wasted no time straight out of the gates, as the first two Mountain Lion hitters went down swinging, a common theme to come throughout much of Sunday afternoon. Frost faced Morgan Curley in the third at-bat of the day, and soon became the only Mountain Lion to reach base off a walk in the first.
 
Frost went on to strike out six of the next nine batters she faced on the day from Young Harris, and collected a total of 11 strikeouts throughout the opening seven innings of the 2022 season.
 
Despite a jaw-dropping performance from LMU's ace, Young Harris starter Jill Dixon's performance didn't go unnoticed, either. Dixon struggled out of the gates allowing the contest's only three runs all scored in the first inning for the Lady Railsplitters; however, the Young Harris ace gained her composure and posted five-consecutive shutout innings.
 
Madison Henry reached base in her first appearance of the season, and soon after second baseman Grace Cochran batted-in the first RBI of the campaign, singling into center to push across Henry. Shortstop Sierra Hucklebee soon reached base after, as power-hitter Emma Webb smacked another single into the outfield to stretch the LMU advantage out to two. Third baseman Kelsie Tuggle pushed across the game's final run in the first inning, with a SAC-fly to center that scored Hucklebee.
 
There was never any doubt who would step into the circle in the top of the seventh to close out the first game of the year, as Emma Frost reached the double-digit mark in strikeouts on the day to seal the first victory of the season for the Blue & Grey. The Morristown, Tenn. product posted the first no-hitter in just the first appearance of the season, a campaign that promises to show Frost as one of the premier arms in the nation.
 
Game 2 – No. 13 Lincoln Memorial def. Young Harris 12-7
 
The bats came alive in Sunday's second matchup of the doubleheader between the Lady Railsplitters and Mountain Eagles, as LMU continued to be dialed in during the first inning of play, with Madison Henry and Grace Cochran again reaching base quickly. Emma Webb collected another RBI on the afternoon, poking one out to center to score Henry for yet another early Lady Railsplitter lead.
 
Tusculum graduate transfer Delilah Malczewski received her first start in the circle of her Lady Railsplitter career Sunday afternoon, showing promising strides as she faced 24 batters in total of five innings pitched. Malczewski did keep the Mountain Lions quiet for much of the opening five innings, until she was replaced early on in the 6th inning. The graduate transfer posted five strikeouts in her Blue & Grey debut, and only walked one batter as the lefty won her first start of the season.
 
After LMU's early run in the bottom of the first inning in matchup No. 2 of the day, the Mountain Lions found success in keeping Lincoln Memorial quiet for the most part. Young Harris even took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth, where the Lady Railsplitter bats came alive and never turned back. An explosion for six runs saw the DP, sophomore Katie Tuggle smack her first home run of the season far over the left field wall to put LMU back in the lead. Victory Conley, Madison Henry and Grace Cochran all proceeded to load the bases up for the Lady Railsplitters, as last season's first team all-conference shortstop stepped to the plate. Sierra Hucklebee took Young Harris deep for a grand slam, capping off the six-run game changing sequence.
 
The Mountain Lions tacked on a few late runs to put a little pressure on the No. 13-ranked program in the nation, but another clutch at-bat from the designated player, Katie Tuggle, saw the sophomore smack a double down the left side for 2 RBI and a total of four on the day.
 
Up five runs entering the ninth, head coach Ritchie Richardson took no chances and sent in the Blue & Grey game No. 1 hero, knowing the Mountain Lions would have no answer. Although Young Harris managed to get two runners on base against Emma Frost, the dominant ace recovered to retire three-consecutive, with two strikeouts to seal the sweep over Young Harris in the opening doubleheader of the 2022 season.
 
UP NEXT…
The No. 13 Lady Railsplitters return to action this Wednesday, Feb. 9 for another doubleheader in Dorothy Neely against Lee University. Start times will remain at 1 / 3 p.m. EST.
 
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms —@LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram — for complete coverage of Lady Railsplitter softball through the 2022 season.