DAHLONEGA, Ga. – For the second straight season, the Lincoln Memorial softball team went to a winner-take-all game in the Southeast Super-Regional against host North Georgia, but unfortunately for the second consecutive year, the Nighthawks clawed out a victory in the deciding game.
 
After their loss yesterday, the Lady Railsplitters needed to win twice today to head to Denver for the a shot at the National Championship. They accomplished part one of that task by taking game two of the series by a score of 3-1. Seven innings was not enough for the deciding game, as the two teams went into extra innings, before the UNG pulled out a 4-1 win.
 
By picking up the win in game two of the super-regional, LMU recorded their 39th victory of the season setting a new program record. The Lady Railsplitters end their season with the winningest season in program history, finishing the year at 39-20.
 
Super-Regional Game Two:  Lincoln Memorial Defeats North Georgia 3-1
 
The Lady Railsplitters offense started the game hot, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Sierra Hucklebee got it started with a RBI single to score Madison Henry. Two batters later, McKenzie Henry doubled into the left field gap to score Grace Cochran and Hucklebee to give LMU the 3-0 lead.
 
Those three runs were more than enough for starting pitcher Hayley Tamaro. The senior kept the Nighthawks off balance all game long, holding them to only six hits and recording a strikeout over her seven innings of work.
 
The defense behind Tamaro was fantastic all game, as she induced 14 groundouts and four flyouts. Tamaro got out of a first inning jam thanks at a 2-6-5-4 pick off at second base as the Nighthawks threatened with runners on first and second. A 6-3 double play helped Tamaro get out of the fifth inning without allowing a run.
 
UNG got on the board in the top of the sixth inning with a RBI double to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Tamaro held it there, getting the next batter to groundout to end the threat. In the top of the seventh the Nighthawks could do nothing offensively, going down 1-2-3.
 
Hayley Tamaro picked up her ninth win on the season, and her first of the postseason.
 
Super-Regional Game Three: North Georgia Defeats Lincoln Memorial 4-1 in eight innings
 
The final game was a pitcher's duel for the first seven innings, as the two teams combined for two runs and 10 hits through seven frames. The Nighthawks broke it open in the top of the eighth inning, scoring three runs to take control of the game.
 
The LMU offense threatened in the first inning, but a great throw from the North Georgia leftfielder cut down Grace Cochrane at the plate to keep the score tied at 0-0. The offense got going again in the fourth inning, as Sierra Hucklebee led off with a walk and Emma Webb followed with a single to center. After Victoria Mounce came in to pinch-run for Hucklebee, McKenzie Henry hit another single up to middle to score Mounce and put LMU in the lead after four innings of play.
 
The Lady Railsplitters had two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but the Nighthawks got a strikeout with runners on first and second to keep the game tied and send it into extra innings.
 
Once again, Hayley Tamaro shut down the UNG offense, striking out two while only allowing six hits and one run in her seven innings of work. She cruised through the first four innings, before allowing a run in the fifth inning. The Nighthawks wouldn't threaten again until the seventh, but Tamaro held them scoreless in the inning as UNG was too aggressive and were thrown out at the plate trying to score on a passed ball.
 
In extra innings, Emma Frost came in to relieve Tamaro in the circle, and North Georgia came out swinging in the eighth inning. They scored their first run of the inning off an error, then put the game away with a two-run home run to go up by three runs. LMU went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to end any comeback attempt.
 
Frost took the loss in the final game, giving her a final record of 24-10.
 
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 complete coverage of Lady Railsplitter softball through the 2022 season.