2008 LMU Softball Team Is For Real

HARROGATE, TN – If there were any naysayers of just how good the Lincoln Memorial University softball team is this year, they were quickly silenced this weekend in Salisbury, North Carolina.  The Lady Railsplitters entered Friday evening’s first round action of the Catawba College Tournament at 11-3 overall and won four of five games this weekend, including one win over a top-25 ranked opponent.

On Friday evening, the Lincoln Memorial University softball team won its first game of the Catawba College Tournament by defeating Belmont Abbey with a solid 10-1 performance.  The victory got the tournament started on a strong note and LMU improved to 12-3 on the year.

On Saturday, although the Lady Railsplitters stumbled in their opening game against second ranked Lock Haven University by losing 7-1, LMU bounced back in the afternoon game against #21 Kutztown by winning 3-2.  The victory was LMU’s first win of the season over a nationally ranked opponent and set the stage for Sunday’s action against East Stroudsburg and Limestone College.

In the morning game against East Stroudsburg, LMU came from behind to capture a 3-2 win to improve to 14-4 on the year and 3-1 in the tournament.  Later in the afternoon, the Lady Splitters closed out the weekend with another 3-2 win, this time over non-conference opponent Limestone College.

Now 15-4 overall, not only are the Lady Railsplitters in the middle of the best start since LMU joined the NCAA, Dan Burns and his team may be looking at a national ranking when the next NFCA Top-25 poll is released in a few weeks. 

This Wednesday the Lady Railsplitters return to the Dorothy Neely Field to host Alderson-Broaddus before traveling to Union College on March 11.  If the LMU women can win those four games, the Lady Railsplitters would begin the South Atlantic Conference schedule on March 15 with an impressive 19-4 record.  Lincoln Memorial will play Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, North Carolina in the SAC opener.