Railsplitters Take First Round With Limestone

Courtesy of Limestone College

Box Score

GAFFNEY, SC --  Limestone College suffered an 8-1 loss to Lincoln Memorial University on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference baseball game. The Saints slip to 14-11 overall as the Railsplitters climb to 16-12.

The game was scoreless for five innings until Lincoln Memorial’s Nick Langley (Blaine, Tenn.) led off the sixth inning with a homerun. Eric Kitts (Blaine, Tenn.) singled to center field later in the inning to bring Ralph Rosas (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) home from second base. John Couch (Bonnyman, Ky.) doubled in the next at bat to score Jason Pabon (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico), which put the Railsplitters up 3-0. Next, Shane Kaufman (Miramer, Fla.) hit a two-run double. Cody Pack (Andersonville, Tenn.) also hit a run-scoring single to give LMU the 6-0 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, Pabon scored from second on a Limestone error. The Saints gave up another unearned run as Kitts scored for the 8-0 lead. The Saints got out of the inning after Tommy Casto (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) flied out to deep right field. Mendez made the throw to home as catcher Joe Maloney (Aston, Pa.) tagged the runner out. 

Limestone put a run up in the eighth after Adam Vafides (Niceville, Fla.) advanced to second on an error by LMU’s short stop. Greg Dailey (Baltimore, Md.) singled as Vafides came home.

Jordan Barnett  (Richlands, Va./2-1) took his first loss of the season as he pitched the first 5 2/3 innings. He gave up five earned runs on nine hits. He struck out four and walked two. Brock White (Gaffney, S.C.) pitched 1 1/3 inning, allowed two hits and no earned runs. Matt Crisp (Gaston, N.C.) and Jordan Robinson (Shelby, N.C.) finished out the game for the Saints. Crisp posted two strikeouts and gave up no hits. Robinson only allowed one hit in the final inning of the game.

Mich Kramer (Amherst, Ontario, Canada) got the win for Lincoln Memorial to improve to 3-1 on the year. He pitched a complete game, scattered three hits, struck out four batters, and allowed no earned runs.

Pack and Pabon each hit 3-5 for Lincoln Memorial. Pack tallied an RBI while Pabon scored two runs. Kaufman was 1-5 with three RBIs, while Couch was 1-5 with 2 RBIs. Pabon and Bryon Izzo (Miramer, Fla.) each had a stolen base.

Dailey led the Saints with two hits on the day (2-4), while Vafides was 1-3.

The Saints host No. 15 Francis Marion tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at Bob Prevatte Field. LMU and Limestone will face off again on Thursday afternoon at Bob Prevatte Field at 2:30 p.m. The Railsplitters host Oakland City on March 21 at 1 p.m. in Harrogate, Tenn.

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