ANDERSON, S.C. -- The Railsplitters (24-20, 15-12 SAC) toiled behind an offense that lacked any punch in dropping both ends of a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader to the Anderson Trojans (20-27, 14-15 SAC) in the final two games of the regular season on Saturday in Anderson, S.C.
 
Lincoln Memorial was limited to 13 hits over 16 innings by the Trojans' staff, registering just two extra-base hits and going 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the twinbill. Nick Contafio contained the Railsplitters for seven innings in a 4-1 win in game one, while Chris Ayers and JT Trujillo combined to stifle the Railsplitters over seven innings until Nick Bernardo provided a walk-off single in a 2-1 win in game two.
 
Despite the sweep, the Railsplitters earned the No. 4 seed for the upcoming South Atlantic Conference Championship, advancing automatically to the double-elimination portion of the league tournament. Lincoln Memorial opens against three-seeded Tusculum at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24 in Forest City, N.C.
 
Game One: Anderson 4, Lincoln Memorial 1
 
Aside from a 1-2-3 top of the first, the Railsplitters put at least one runner on in every inning, but Anderson starter Contafio and relief pitcher Mitchell Cooksey would combine to leave 11 runners stranded and limit Lincoln Memorial to a 1-for-12 effort in RBI chances.
 
One of LMU's best opportunities came in the top of the second as singles by Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.), and a hit-by-pitch to Ryan Burlison (Romeoville, Ill.) loaded the bases with two outs. Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) was struck out to end that threat.
 
The Railsplitters left another runner stranded in scoring position in the third and went scoreless in the fourth despite a one-out triple by Neiderland, while the Trojans produced all four of their runs in the second, third and fourth innings.
 
A two-out single by Garrett Bernardo, escalated by an error in centerfield, put Anderson in position to score in the second stanza, and Nick Bernardo came through with a base knock into right field.
 
Tyler Miller led off the third with a triple into the gap in right-centerfield, scoring in the next at-bat on a sac fly by Steven Cooper. Another triple, this time from Stephen McKnight, kick-started the two-run fourth frame for the Trojans by scoring Travis Smith, who walked. McKnight came around three pitches later on Garrett Bernardo's single.
 
That 4-0 cushion would be more than enough for Contafio and Cooksey, as zeroes would continue to pile up for the Railsplitters until the ninth frame, when the visiting unit mustered a single unearned run. Burlison reached safely and advanced to second on an error to lead off that inning, later scoring on Logan Augustine's (Urbandale, Iowa) sac fly.
 
Neiderland accounted for half of the Railsplitters' six hits, going 3-for-4 with a triple. Scott Miller (Knoxville, Tenn.), Augustine and Kalman added the only other hits of the ballgame.
 
Right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) was stuck with the loss with six hits, three runs and four strikeouts over four innings of work. Wes Todd (Thompson Station, Tenn.) threw the last four innings, allowing just three hits without a run over that span.
 
Contafio went seven-strong for the Trojans, giving up six hits without a run charged to his ledger. He fanned four and walked two before giving way to Cooksey, who did not allow a hit in two frames.
 
Miller, McKnight and Garrett Bernardo combined for seven of Anderson's nine hits.
 
Game Two: Anderson 2, Lincoln Memorial 1
 
The Railsplitters would not have to wait nearly as long to score in game two, manufacturing a solid run-scoring chance in the top of the first following a base hit from Miller and a walk to Augustine. Following a fly out, Kyle Floyd (Windsor, Ill.) singled to load the bases for Kalman, who staked LMU to a 1-0 lead with a sac fly. Neiderland grounded out in the next at-bat to keep the Railsplitters at one run.
 
Left-hander Grant Painter (Knoxville, Tenn.) put up a zero in the first and second frames, but a two-out walk to Miller proved costly in the bottom of the third, as Brett Cash knotted the game at 1-1 with a triple.
 
The fourth and fifth frames passed without consequence, but both the Railsplitters and Trojans nearly plated a run in the sixth stanza. Following a couple of easy outs in LMU's half of that inning, Floyd singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kalman walked in the next at-bat, but Neiderland bounced out to second to keep the game deadlocked.
 
Cash opened the home half of the sixth with a double, forcing Coach Jeff Sziksai to call Burlison onto the mound. Burlison snagged a liner from Cooper and doubled up Cash at second base before ending the inning with a groundout.
 
The Railsplitters were unable to take advantage of an Anderson fielding error, their fourth of the doubleheader, in the top of seventh, while the Trojans rallied with two outs in the bottom half of that inning. Following a groundout and a fly out, Garrett Bernardo ripped a double into the gap in left-center, and Nick Bernardo provided the walk-off win in the ensuing plate appearance with a single back up the middle.
 
Miller and Floyd led Lincoln Memorial with two hits apiece, while Kalman accounted for the only RBI of the game.
 
Painter finished with a no decision with three hits and a run allowed over five innings. He struck out four and walked one. Burlison was handed the loss after relinquishing one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings.
 
Ayers went the first 5 2/3 for Anderson, serving up seven hits with one run and two strikeouts before giving way to Trujillo, who went 1 1/3 with no hits or no runs allowed.
 
Cash paced the Trojans' five-hit effort with a double and a triple.
 
With rain in the forecast for Sunday, the Railsplitters' series finale against Anderson has been canceled, officially bringing the regular season to a close. Lincoln Memorial will now direct its attention to the South Atlantic Conference Championship and an opening-round match-up against three-seeded Tusculum. First pitch in that contest is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Forest City, N.C.