AIKEN, S.C. – Lincoln Memorial's bats finally came alive against No. 6-ranked USC Aiken, but the Pacers (3-0) walked off in the 11th inning to complete the sweep with a 10-9 victory on Sunday at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. The Railsplitters (0-3) had three players with at least three hits apiece, but Aiken's Tyler Ammerman finished 4-for-6, including the walk-off single.

The Railsplitters jumped ahead in the first inning, as Nate Stinson (Jonesboro, Ga.), Tyler Adams (Woodstock, Ga.) and Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) opened the game with consecutive knocks off of Aiken starter James Lynch. Augustine's double drove home Stinson for Lincoln Memorial's first run of the game, while a wild pitch allowed Adams to score the second run. A Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) ground out brought home Augustine to expand the lead to 3-0.

Sophomore Matt Mullenbach (Urbandale, Iowa) got the start on the mound for Lincoln Memorial. He tossed a scoreless first three innings but was knocked out in the fourth after allowing two runs on Brian Parreira's sac fly and a Charles Padilla single. He finished the afternoon with 3.2 innings pitched with two earned runs allowed and five strikeouts. Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) came on in relief and got Joey Smithers looking to end the Pacer rally.

Lynch settled down after his shaky first inning and finished his afternoon with a line of five innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs. He also struck out eight. Despite the solid outing, he departed with his team still trailing 3-2.

Morabito pitched a scoreless fifth inning but allowed the Pacers to take a 4-3 lead in the sixth as he battled with control issues. The rally started with three consecutive walks to load the bases. Jose Bonilla singled to right to tie the game at three, and a wild pitch from Morabito—his second of the inning—allowed the go-ahead run to score.

Lincoln Memorial roared back with four more runs in the top half of the seventh inning. Stinson led off the inning with a walk, and Adams reached on an error by the third baseman. Augustine then doubled to bring home Stinson and tie the game at four. Adams was thrown out at third on the play, but the next two batters both reached to load the bases for Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.). He reached on an error by the catcher, which allowed Augustine to score. Timmy Wages (Molin, Ill.) walked to score another run. Two batters later, Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch to give the Railsplitters a 7-4 advantage.

That lead was short-lived, however, as USC Aiken scored thrice in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game. Daulton Weeks singled home the first run after the first two batters reached on a single and hit by pitch. A sacrifice fly to left field scored the second run, and Skylar Mercado drove in another run with a single to center.

The Railsplitters re-took the lead 9-7 in the top of the ninth. Stinson doubled, and Adams drove him in with a single for his third hit of the game. Two more batters eventually reached to load the bases for Clark, who was hit by a pitch to allow the second run of the inning to score.

USC Aiken would not go quietly, however, and Mercado homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Bonilla followed that with a single and stole second, but Cody Hinson (Taylor Ridge, Ill.) got the next two batters out. But he couldn't finish off Zach Moon, who singled to tie the score at nine and send the game in extra innings.

The Pacers held Lincoln Memorial scoreless the next two innings and finally won in the bottom of the 11th. Bonilla reached on an error by Hunt to lead off the inning, which allowed him to advance to second. A ground out moved him to third, which forced the Railsplitters to intentionally walk the next two batters and load the bases. Jake Watkins (Powder Springs, Ga.) struck out the next batter, but Ammerman singled for his fourth hit of the afternoon to give USC Aiken the walk-off victory.

The Railsplitters will try for their first win Monday in Orangeburg, S.C. against the Claflin Panthers. First pitch at Mirmow Field is scheduled for 2 p.m.