SOFTBALL NEWS

LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Sports Release                                                                  February 16, 2006

LMU Softball Heads to West Georgia Tournament at 6-0

HARROGATE, TN – After a double-header sweep of Mars Hill College on Thursday afternoon, the Lincoln Memorial University softball team will travel to Carrollton, Georgia this weekend with a perfect 6-0 record.

The LMU women came from behind in the first game on Thursday to take a 6-5 win to over the Lady Lions. LMU pitcher Brittney Walker (Chattanooga, TN) went the distance to move her personal record to 3-0 on the year. Walker gave up nine hits, five runs and two earned runs, while walking one batter and striking out six.

At the plate, the LMU bats weren’t on fire as they were Wednesday against Union, but the eight hits the Lady Railsplitters managed were enough to get the job done. Freshman Chelsie McNew (Knoxville, TN) led the way, going two for three in the game with one RBI, while Gina Grace (Placerville, CA) and Walker were each two for four with Walker getting credit for the game winning RBI. Also, junior Tiffany Evans (Bowling Green, KY) tagged her fifth homerun of the year to highlight the game.

The afternoon’s second game proved to be dominated mostly by Lincoln Memorial. Sophomore Jessica Stewart (Loudon, TN) threw a one-hit shutout until the top of the sixth inning when Mars Hill’s Ashley Harber hit a one run blast that bounced off the top of the fence into homerun territory to make it 2-1 LMU.

With help from her teammates at the plate in the bottom of the inning however, Stewart and the Lady Railsplitters emerged with a 5-1 win, moving Stewart to 2-0 on the year and LMU to its current 6-0 mark. Stewart also pitched the complete game, giving up only three hits, one run and one earned run, while walking no batters and striking out three.

Sophomore Gina Grace finished the game two for three at the plate, while Danielle Sowders (Knoxville, TN) was two for four and both had runs batted in. Walker, McNew and Alisa Burk (Blaine, WA) accounted for the other LMU runs batted in.

This weekend the LMU women will have to elevate their play as they will be playing some of the finest teams in the NCAA South Region in Carrollton, Georgia. The Lady Railsplitters will take on Nova Southeastern, Florida Southern, the University of Indianapolis, Clark Atlanta and Columbus State by the end of Saturday before making the trek back to Harrogate.

Lincoln Memorial 6, Mars Hill 5 (Feb 16, 2006 at Harrogate, TN) (Game 1)
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Mars Hill........... 001 020 2 -  5  9  3      (1-6)
Lincoln Memorial.... 110 011 2 -  6  8  4      (5-0)
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Pitchers: Mars Hill - Katie Bryden. Lincoln Memorial - Brittney Walker.
Win-Brittney Walker(3-0)  Loss-Katie Bryden(1-3)  T-1:47  A-60
HR LMU - Tiffany Evans (5).

Lincoln Memorial 5, Mars Hill 1 (Feb 16, 2006 at Harrogate, TN) (Game 2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mars Hill........... 000 001 0 - 1 3 1 (1-7) Lincoln Memorial.... 020 003 X - 5 10 0 (6-0) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Mars Hill - Katie Blankenship. Lincoln Memorial - Jessica Stewart. Win-Jessica Stewart(2-0) Loss-Katie Blankenship(0-3) T-1:25 A-60 HR MHC - Ashley Harber (2).

-LMU-

For additional comments please contact,

Head Coach:  Dan Burns

Phone:  (423) 869-6242