HARROGATE, Tenn. – UVA Wise softball dropped its first South Atlantic Conference doubleheader of the season in a pair of losses at No. 20 Lincoln Memorial University Tuesday afternoon. The Cavaliers fell in game one 10-2 and dropped game two 3-0 to the Railsplitters.
Freshman Jenna McDermott notched the first hit of the day with a single to left field in the top of the first inning of game one.
The Railsplitters (9-0, 2-0 SAC) jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a leadoff homer off the bat of Audrey Petoskey.
The Cavs (1-4-1, 0-2 SAC) responded in the third as senior Kailey Huffman doubled to left field followed by a single for freshman Kara Long to put UVA Wise in position to score. McDermott's single to right field plated Huffman before an Alexis Miles sacrifice fly scored Long. Kaylee Jones tacked on another hit for the Cavs with a single to left field as UVA Wise held a 2-1 advantage into the bottom of the inning.
LMU tallied five runs and four hits in the third frame to gain the lead. A Sierra Hucklebee RBI double to right center scored Ty-Kella Goins while Emma Webb's single to second base sent home Grace Cochran. Three more made it across home plate for LMU on another bomb by Petoskey as the Railsplitters pulled ahead 6-2 heading into the fourth.
The Cavs recorded another hit in the top of the fifth on a two-out double off the bat of McDermott, but nothing would come of it as UVA Wise continued to trail.
The Railsplitters scored two more runs in both the fifth and sixth inning to pull away with a 10-2 game one win.
The Cavs totaled eight hits and one error in the game while LMU finished with 10 hits.
McDermott went 3-for3 at the plate while Jones notched a pair of hits. Sophomore pitcher McKenna Falwell (1-1) tossed three innings as she allowed five hits and struck out five in the loss.
LMU's Bailey Griffith (3-0) picked up another win in the circle, scattering eight hits and striking out three across six innings.
UVA Wise recorded two hits in the second game of the day both off the bat of Jones. The first baseman sent a two-out double down the left field line in the top of the first before knocking a leadoff triple to right field in the fourth frame.
LMU scored their first runs of the game on a McKenzie Henry two-run blast to left field, scoring herself and Webb to put the Railsplitters ahead 2-0 heading into the fifth inning.
LMU added another run in the fifth frame. Goins led the bottom of the inning with a double down the left field line before advancing to third on a Cavalier error. Cochran's sacrifice fly to centerfield scored Goins as the Railsplitters held on for a 3-0 game two win.
Senior pitcher Raychel Lapallo fell to 0-2 on the season as she allowed six hits and fanned four in six innings of work.
The Railsplitters Emma Frost improved to 3-0 with the win, scattering two hits and striking out 11 in a complete game effort.
UVA Wise softball will return to the field Thursday for another SAC matchup at Anderson University. First game of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
