LMU & #18 VSU Split Saturday Double-Header

HARROGATE, TN – Saturday’s split with eighteenth ranked Valdosta State University snapped an eight game losing streak for the Lady Railsplitter softball team and gave them their first victory in Gulf South Conference play this season.

The Lady Railsplitters won the first game of the afternoon, coming from behind to win 3-1, while the LMU women lost the final game of the day 2-1 despite a late inning rally.

Following an RBI single by VSU’s Holly Willis in the top of the first inning, the Lady Railsplitters led by pitcher Brittney Walker (Ooltewah, TN) shut down the Valdosta State offense over the next six innings and came away with a 3-1 win. 

Walker, who pitched the entire seven innings, weathered the cold snowy conditions to allow only the one run which was earned, while walking no batters and striking out 11 Lady Blazer batters.

Lady Railsplitter junior Tiffany Evans (Bowling Green, KY) put LMU on the scoreboard and tied the game at 1-1 when she slammed her eighth homerun of the year in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Only an inning later, LMU’s Amanda Wampler (Powell, TN) and Gina Grace (Placerville, CA) both managed to cross the plate following a crazy exchange of  throwing errors and wild pitches by the VSU infield.  The end result was a 3-1 win following the top of the sixth inning.

Game two proved to be another defensive struggle with Valdosta State and Lincoln Memorial combining for only six total hits for the game.  The Lady Blazers picked up both of their runs in the top of the third inning on RBI single by Peaches Ramsey who also eventually stole home to score the second run.

The Lady Railsplitters got their only run of the game when sophomore Alisa Burk (Blaine, WA) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score teammate Brittney Walker.  While the run pulled LMU within striking distance, the Lady Railsplitter bats were silenced by VSU in the seventh inning and the Lady Blazers came away with the 2-1 win.

LMU’s Kelly Click (Ashland, OH) got the loss to fall to 1-6 on the year.  Click pitched 6.2 innings, giving up four hits, two runs and two earned runs, while walking two batters and striking out two.  Jessica Stewart (Loudon, TN) entered the game in the top of the seventh got the final out to get LMU back to the plate.

LMU and VSU are now set to play the final two games of the series Sunday afternoon beginning at 12:00 o’clock on the Dorothy Neely Field.  Two seven inning games are on tap, both of which the Lady Railsplitters desperately need to get back in the GSC Eastern Division race.

Lincoln Memorial 3, Valdosta State 1 (Mar 25, 2006 at Harrogate, TN) (Game 1)
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Valdosta State...... 100 000 0 -  1  8  3      (21-12, 10-7 GSC)
Lincoln Memorial.... 000 120 X -  3  5  0      (19-16, 1-8 GSC)
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Pitchers: Valdosta State - Kristen Lindsey. Lincoln Memorial - Brittney Walker.
Win-Brittney Walker(12-5)  Loss-Kristen Lindsey(8-3)  T-2:05  A-110
HR LMU - Tiffany Evans (8).

Valdosta State 2, Lincoln Memorial 1 (Mar 25, 2006 at Harrogate, TN) (Game 2)
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Valdosta State...... 002 000 0 -  2  4  2      (22-12, 11-7 GSC)
Lincoln Memorial.... 000 001 0 -  1  2  0      (19-17, 1-9 GSC)
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Pitchers: Valdosta State - Elske ten Hoope; Allison McKean(6). Lincoln Memorial - Kelly Click;
Jessica Stewart(7).
Win-Elske ten Hoope(1-0)  Save-Allison McKean(1)  Loss-Kelly Click(1-6)  T-1:33  A-110
Game notes:
VSU head coach ejected in bottom of sixth.


Ten Hoope faced 2 batters in the 6th.