HARROGATE, TN - Lincoln Memorial opened the SAC Tournament with a 7-6 win over Mars Hill on Friday afternoon at Dorothy Neely Softball Complex, using an early surge and timely late insurance to hold off a Lions rally.
Mars Hill struck first in the top of the first, but the Railsplitters answered immediately as Hannah McMeen drove in Kristin Griffin with an RBI double. LMU then took advantage of a pair of passed balls and a wild pitch to plate two more in the opening frame and grab a 3-1 lead.
The Railsplitters added to the margin in the second when McMeen delivered again, knocking an RBI single to push the lead to 4-1. Mars Hill cut into it with a solo homer in the third, but Griffin responded in the fourth with an RBI triple to make it 5-2.
After Mars Hill pulled within one with a two-run single in the sixth, LMU answered right back. Griffin delivered an RBI single, and McMeen followed with her second RBI double of the day to extend the lead to 7-4.
Mars Hill made one final push in the seventh, scoring twice to trim the deficit to one, but LMU closed it out to secure the opening win of the best-of-three series. Brooke Strickland earned the win in the circle, and Katie Fultz recorded the save.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m., with Game 3 (if necessary) scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Harrogate.
