HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Freshman left-hander Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) became the first LMU pitcher this century to reach the 10-win mark as the Railsplitters (27-19, 12-11 SAC) split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader against the Brevard Tornados (15-33, 5-18 SAC) on Saturday at Lamar Hennon Field.
 
Lincoln Memorial racked up 12 hits in game one, but could only muster three runs in a 4-3 loss. The Railsplitters' offense continued to be stagnant in game two, but LMU rallied from a late one-run deficit to grab a 2-1 win and secure the split.
 
The Railsplitters will look to end a streak of four straight SAC series losses on Sunday, when they wrap up the regular season with the rubber game of their series against Brevard at 1 p.m. back at Lamar Hennon Field.
 
Game One: Brevard 4, Lincoln Memorial 3
 
The Railsplitters scattered 12 hits, but finished without an extra-base hit and left nine runners stranded on base in the contest to suffer their third straight loss to the Tornados.
 
Joe Stucky (Powell, Tenn.) led the charge for Lincoln Memorial by reaching base in all four of his plate appearances with three singles and a walk. Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) went 3 for 5 with an RBI, while HD Dillard (Woodstock, Ga.) and Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) had two hits apiece.
 
Junior right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two runs with three walks over that span, before being replaced by Chase Randolph (Harriman, Tenn.). Randolph was solid in his 2 2/3 innings of work, allowing just three hits and one unearned run. Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) was saddled with the loss after giving up two hits and the eventual game-winning run in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
 
Brevard opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, as Christian Dix drew a lead-off walk and later scored on a wild pitch to put the Tornados in front 1-0.
 
The Railsplitters loaded the bases in the bottom of that inning following a single from Clark and a pair of walks, but Rodriguez flew out to end the inning without a run to show for it.
 
Lincoln Memorial finally got something going in the bottom of the fourth, as singles from Clark and Stucky put a pair of runners on base with two outs. Rodriguez and Dillard then came through with back-to-back, two-out singles to catapult the Railsplitters in front 2-1.
 
The Tornados answered right back in the top of the fifth, though, as Matthew Proffitt walked, stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw before scoring on Brennan Allen's groundout.
 
Two innings later, Brevard regained a one-run lead, as Hunter Donaldson doubled and scored on a single from Ryan Smith.
 
The Railsplitters fought back to tie the game one more time in the bottom of the eighth, as Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) drew a walk and scored on a fielder's choice from Peyton Sawyer (Knoxville, Tenn.).
 
However, a lead-off hit-by-pitch opened the door for the Tornados in the top of the ninth, as Morabito plunked Allen, who later moved to third on a single by Donaldson. Smith drove in the eventual game-winning run with a single through the right side of the infield.
 
Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) flew out and Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) ground out to shortstop to end the game.
 
Donaldson led the Tornados by going 3 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, while Smith and Schuyler Martire had two hits apiece. Drake Black picked up the win, improving to 5-1 after allowing just two hits and one run in three innings of relief.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 2, Brevard 1
 
Elliott took over the SAC lead for wins by notching his fifth complete game, limiting Brevard to just eight hits and one run with five strikeouts over seven innings of work. In the process, Elliott improved to 10-1 on the season, becoming only the second LMU pitcher to record 10 wins in a season and the first since Scot Shields won a program-record 11 games in 1996. It marked LMU's fifth straight win in games started by Elliott.
 
The Railsplitters looked as if they were on the verge of spoiling another dazzling start by Elliott, as they had just two hits and trailed 1-0 after four innings. But Lincoln Memorial was able to rally back and take advantage of Elliott's solid offering.
 
Prior to the fifth inning, Brevard scored the lone run of the contest in the top of the third frame, when Pat Quinn led off with a single and scored three batters later on another hit from Donaldson.
 
Facing that 1-0 deficit, the Railsplitters finally got the equalizer in the fifth stanza, which Stucky led off with a single. Danny Valdez (Orlando, Fla.) moved Stucky into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Rodriguez flew out to centerfield for the second out of the inning. However, Dillard came through in the clutch with a two-out double into the gap in right center, tying the game at 1-1.
 
The Railsplitters used more small ball to conjure up the winning run in the sixth, as Kalman led off with a single and was bunted over to second by Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.). After a wild pitch, Clark drove in the eventual winning run with a groundout to second base.
 
Elliott allowed a lead-off single to Quinn in the top of the seventh, but sat the next three batters down in order to tidy up his complete-game gem.
 
Dix went 3 for 3 in the contest with a trio of singles for Brevard, while Quinn was 2 for 3. Tyler Luneke made the start for the Tornados, allowing five hits and one earned run before giving way to Tyler Timms, who was stuck with the loss after giving up a run and a hit in one inning of relief.