SOFTBALL NEWS

LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

Office of Sports Information

Sports Release                                                                                                           March 27, 2008

LMU And Missouri S&T Softball Split Series

HARROGATE, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial University softball team picked up a 5-4 extra-inning win in game one but were shutout 5-0 in game two to the Missouri University of Science and Technology Thursday afternoon.

This was the first meeting between the two teams.

Game #1 – Lincoln Memorial 5, Missouri S&T 4 (8 innings)

A leadoff RBI double down the right field line by senior Amanda Wampler (Powell, TN) sealed the victory for LMU in the bottom of the eighth inning in the afternoon's first game.  Wampler, Devin Sponseller (Delaware, OH) and Jackie Adams (Columbus, OH) each had three hits for LMU in the game with Adams and Wampler both going 3-5 at the plate.

Sponseller helped put LMU on the board in the first inning as she hit one down the right field line that enabled Wampler to cross the plate and put the Lady Railsplitters up 1-0.  Sara Henn (Kettering, OH) then put LMU up 2-0 in the third as she scored on a ground out by freshman Mira McPeek (Westerville, OH)

Rachel Wilkinson and Kelsey Mussellman both scored for the Lady Miners in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 2-2. 

LMU would then answer back in the bottom of the fifth when Henn hit a two run blast over left center to put LMU back on top 4-2.

Missouri S&T would tie the game again in the top of the sixth when Wilkinson hit a two RBI double up the middle.

The score would remain tied until the bottom of the eighth when Adams was placed on second at the start of the inning in accordance with the International Tie-Breaker rule.  Wampler then hit the single that scored Adams and won the game.

Henn picked up the win for the Lady Railsplitters after giving up only one hit in 2.2 innings of work and improved her season record to 8-3.  LMU garnered 15 hits in the game but stranded 13 runners on base.

Missouri S&T's Jen O'Hara picked up her first loss of the season and dropped her record to 6-1.  The Lady Miners had 11 hits in the game but left 11 runners stranded as well.

Game #2 – Missouri S&T 5, Lincoln Memorial 0

A grand slam home run by Katie Smith in the top of the seventh helped MS&T put the game away as they blanked the host Lady Railsplitters 5-0 in game two.  Smith went 2-4 at the plate with 4 RBI to help the Lady Miners improve to 14-11 on the season.

The eight hits by MS&T were complemented by the strong pitching of sophomore Ashley Wallingford, who went the distance and gave up only four hits to improve to 6-6 on the season.

Smith led things off in the fourth after a shot by teammate Coley Naughton up the middle advanced Smith to third but the ball was mishandled by a fielder and allowed her to score on the error.

The LMU pitching staff's fatigue then came into play as Henn, who picked up the win in game one, started the second game and began to tire after throwing the first four innings.  She was replaced in the fifth by McPeek, who went out with an injury as she was warming up for the sixth inning.  Henn, whose pitch count was approaching 100 for the afternoon then came back in to pitch.

In the top of the seventh, the high pitch count came into play as Henn loaded the bases.  Smith then came up and with a 2-2 count blasted one over the center field wall for her first home run of the season.

Henn picks up the loss for LMU (25-10) and drops her season record to 8-4.

Both teams will resume conference play this weekend.  Missouri S&T will play at Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Bellarmine on Saturday. LMU will host arch-rival Carson-Newman in an important South Atlantic Conference series on Saturday.  The doubleheader will also be Senior Day for the Lady Railsplitters.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on the Dorothy Neely field.

-LMU-

For additional comments please contact,

Head Coach:  Dan Burns

Phone:  (423) 869-6242