Harrogate, TN- Softball hosted Saginaw Valley State for a doubleheader on Friday in preparation for the Abe's Invitational this weekend. 

The first game of the day would be full of hits as both teams would have hot bats. Saginaw Valley would start the game in scoring, crossing seven runs in the first two innings. Lincoln Memorial would answer with base runners but could not cash in, leaving the bases loaded in both the second and third innings. LMU would finally find a rhythm in the fourth inning, using a Reese Vivrette single, a Nicole Couvertierre triple, hard contact from Hanna Bogoski and Katy Pozzuto, and extra base hits from Katie Tuggle and Madison Henry to plate five in the frame. The Lady Cardinals would add one more in the top of the sixth, which LMU would answer with two of their own to pull within one. Saginaw Valley State would give themselves some more breathing room from from a three-run homer to force the Railsplitters to put on their rally caps. The team would come up just short, however, falling by a score of 9-11. Tuggle would walk away with four hits in game one, alongside multiple runs batted in from both Couvertierre and Henry. 

Game two would follow a similar fashion to the first, with Saginaw Valley State striking first. LMU would turn it around, however, taking their first lead of the day in the bottom of the second thanks to extra base hits from Sterre den Duijn, Tuggle, and Henry. GVSU would return to their hot streak though, scoring six more runs over the span of a few innings, making the game 3-8 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lady Splitters would gain back the momentum in the half inning through hits from Tuggle, Henry, Jordann Reagan, Gracie Palmer, and Reese Vivrette. An error would bring the run across the plate to make it 8-8 going into the top of the 7th. A double and a home run would turn the tide back to the Lady Cardinals and force Lincoln Memorial to score at least three in order to extend the game. The team would gain two back but would fall short, 10-11, in the story of their day: leaving runners on base. 

Lincoln Memorial falls to 8-10 on the season and will be right back at Dorothy Neely Field for the Abe's Invitational, taking on Clarion at 2 PM and Bloomsburg after at 4 PM.