HICKORY, N.C. – The Lincoln Memorial softball team rode big innings to 8-6 and 10-5 wins over Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday at the South Atlantic Conference Tournament to get a win away from the championship series.
 
The No. 3 seed Lady Railsplitters (33-22) took down the No. 6 seed Indians (26-18) thanks to a 5-run 1^st inning before a 7-run 5^th propelled them to victory over the No. 2 seed and No. 18 nationally ranked Bears (35-11).
 
Game 1: Lincoln Memorial 8, Catawba 6
 
RBI singles by McKenzie Henry, Katy Pozzuto and Reese Vivrette followed by a 2-run double from Anna Kate Reichter put the Railsplitters ahead 5-0 after the 1^st inning. The Indians put a 5-spot of their own on the board in the 4^th to knot the score at 5-5. Lincoln Memorial surged to victory in the 6^th on a Kelsie Tuggle go-ahead followed by a Sterre den Duijn 2-run homer.
 
Emma Frost (19-10) threw 3.1 innings of 1-run ball in relief to pick up the win for the Railsplitters, while Catawba's Alexandra Baquie (17-8) allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 5.0 innings to be hit with the loss.
 
Game 2: Lincoln Memorial 10, Lenoir-Rhyne 5
 
Gracie Palmer hit a 2-run triple, and Madison Henry nailed an RBI double in the 2^nd inning to put the visiting Railsplitters ahead 3-1. After the Bears tied the score at 3-3 in the Bottom of the 4^th, Lincoln Memorial responded with 7 runs in the 5^th inning, capped off by a 3-run homerun by den Duijn, to put the game away.
 
Frost again earned the win out of the bullpen with 3.0 innings, while Lenoir-Rhyne's Morgan Beeler gave up 5 runs in 4.1 innings to take the loss (21-4).
 
Up Next
The Lady Railsplitters will play at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of the loser's bracket matchup between Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne.