UWF Comes From Behind to Take Two from LMU

PENSACOLA, FL – Two losses to the University of West Florida on Tuesday have dropped the Lady Railsplitter softball record to 18-14 on the year and 0-6 in Gulf South Conference Eastern Division play.

After losing Saturday and Sunday to North Alabama, the Lady Railsplitters were looking to get back on the winning track Tuesday evening against the University of West Florida, but that didn’t happen.

LMU looked good early in game-one but fell behind 3-0 by the bottom of the third inning.  Following the West Florida runs, the Lady Railsplitters battled back, picking up two runs in the top of the fourth inning when Chelsie McNew (Knoxville, TN) singled to left field to score teammate Kristin Hutchison (Benicia, CA) and Amanda Wampler (Powell, TN) singled to right field to score Tiffany Evans (Bowling Green, KY).

Now 3-2 in favor of West Florida, neither team would score again until the top of the sixth inning when the Lady Railsplitters struck again, this time picking up two runs on a two RBI single by Cassey Schutte (Springfield, OH) to give LMU the 4-3 lead.

With Lincoln Memorial now in the driver’s seat, all the Lady Railsplitters had to do is close out UWF in the sixth and seventh inning to pick up their first league win of the year.  The Lady Argos didn’t allow that to happen as they scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth and shut the door on LMU in the top of the seventh to capture the 7-4 come-from-behind victory.

LMU pitcher Brittney Walker (Ooltewah, TN) was saddled with the loss.  Walker pitched 5.2 innings, allowing nine hits, seven runs and five earned runs, with four walks and six strikeouts before giving way to teammate Jessica Stewart (Loudon, TN).  Stewart pitched the final out giving up no further damage.

Game-two prove to be much closer with LMU giving up the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.  After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, again UWF came from behind to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to eventually come away with a 3-1 win over LMU.

This time sophomore pitcher Kelly Click (Ashland, OH) got the loss for the Lady Railsplitters. Click gave up six hits, three runs and two earn runs, with two walks and three strikeouts on the way to LMU’s fourteenth loss of the year.

The LMU women have two more opportunities Wednesday afternoon to salvage a split with West Florida before returning to Harrogate. Should UWF sweep Wednesday’s series, the 0-8 mark would be the worse league start by a Lady Railsplitter softball team of the Dan Burns era.