WINGATE, NC - Lincoln Memorial wrapped up the regular season Saturday in Wingate with a pair of hard-fought losses, falling 7-6 in game one and 7-6 in eight innings in the nightcap. Despite the setbacks, the Railsplitters secured the No. 4 seed in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament and will return home to Harrogate to host No. 5 Mars Hill in a best-of-three opening round series May 1–2 at the Dorothy Neely Softball Complex.
In the opener, LMU built a 6-2 lead entering the bottom of the seventh after posting multi-run innings in the third and fifth. Jordann Reagan delivered a two-run single in the third, and Nicole Couvertiere followed with a two-RBI single in the fifth to push the advantage to 4-1. The Railsplitters added insurance in the sixth on Reese Vivrette's RBI fielder's choice and again in the seventh when Cassidy Hack drove in a run with a single. Vivrette went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, while Kristin Griffin (2-for-3) and Couvertiere (2-for-4) also turned in multi-hit performances. Wingate answered with a five-run seventh inning to walk it off.
Game two saw the Railsplitters answer early and battle back late, knotting the game at 6-6 in the sixth on Alyssa Maples' three-run homer to left center. LMU's scoring started with Kristin Griffin's two-run double in the third and an RBI single from Ryan Williams in the fourth. Maples finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Hannah McMeen added a pair of hits. In the circle, LMU used three pitchers, with Katie Fultz providing steady relief to keep the game within reach down the stretch. Wingate ultimately pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Lincoln Memorial now turns the page to postseason play, hosting Mars Hill in the SAC Tournament opening round. Game one is set for Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in Harrogate, with games two (and three, if necessary) to be played Saturday.
