HARROGATE, TN – For the second time this season the Lincoln Memorial University and Tusculum College softball teams have split a softball double-header against each other.  On April 9 Tusculum took the upper hand by winning the first game between the two in-state rivals 10-3.  LMU evened the score in the final game of the afternoon by coming away with a 7-3 win over the Lady Pioneers to split the series.

On Monday night the two teams met for the final time in 2007 and the end result almost identical.  Tusculum came out strong in the evening’s opener and captured an 8-1 win over the Lady Railsplitters.  Many times throughout the game it seemed as though the Lady Pioneers could do no wrong and LMU did very little right.

Tusculum took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Judith Saavedra reached on a throwing error and then scored on a shot down the left field line by teammate Brie Griffin.  Only an inning later, the Lady Pioneers tacked on three more runs on a fielder’s choice by Racheal Wilburn, an RBI single by Saavedra and another LMU fielding error.

In the fourth inning the Lady Pioneers scored again on a RBI double to left center by Wilburn, and then shut the door on LMU in the top of the eighth by scoring their final three runs on three hits behind one Lady Railsplitter error.  Although LMU did manage to deny Tusculum the shutout, the damage had already been done and the Lady Pioneers took the 8-1 win in seven innings. 

Holli Cadenhead picked up the win to improve to 9-7 on the year.  Cadenhead pitched the full seven innings, allowing eight LMU hits, one run and one earned run, while walking one batter and striking out two.  LMU’s Jessica Locker (Tipp City, OH) got the loss.  Locker, now 5-2 on the year, went the distance, allowing seven hits, eight runs and only three earned runs, while walking two batters and striking out two.   

The nightcap proved to be somewhat of a role reversal.  After Tusculum took the upper hand in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Chrissy Wilkison, the Lady Splitters came back to tie the game on a lead off homerun by Brittney Walker (14) (Ooltewah, TN) in the bottom of the inning.  From there, LMU held the Lady Pioneers in check for the remainder of the game and tacked on two runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Kara Faidley (Bristol, TN) and an RBI single by Sarah Henn (Kettering, OH).  In the fifth inning LMU struck again, this time scoring on a two RBI double by Tiffany Evans (Bowling Green, KY), an RBI double by Devin Sponseller (Delaware, OH) and an RBI single by Cassey Schutte (Springfield, OH).

For the twelfth time this season, LMU junior pitcher Kelly Click (12-3) (Ashland, OH) emerged victorious.  Click went seven innings of work, allowing six Tusculum hits, one run and one earned run, while walking two batters and striking out two.  TC’s Kassie Killion took the loss.  Killion lasted only 4.1 innings, giving up seven hits, five runs and five earned runs, with two strikeouts before giving way to teammate Megan DuBois.  DuBois gave up three additional hits, two runs and two earned runs, with two walks and three strikeouts.