ANDERSON, S.C. – Lincoln Memorial (29-17, 18-6 SAC) closed out its regular season with a doubleheader split at Anderson (15-32, 9-15 SAC) to fall just short in its bid to clinch its first ever SAC regular-season title. The Railsplitters extended their win streak to 10 with an 11-3 victory in game one, but their bats were silenced in game two as the Trojans salvaged a game in the series with a 5-0 shutout.

The loss also ended Lincoln Memorial's program record nine-game SAC win streak. Catawba completed its sweep of Brevard to end a game ahead of the Railsplitters in the SAC standings, but the second-place finish is still the highest the team has ever finished in the conference. The Indians have won the past five South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles.

William Thomas went 5-for-9 on the day and was the only player on either side to record multiple hits in each game.

Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) struck out seven Trojans and allowed just one earned run in seven-plus innings in game one, and the Railsplitter offense backed him with its seventh straight game scoring double digit runs. Timmy Wages (Molin, Ill.) hit his 11th home run of the year, a three-run shot in the first. That gave him 57 RBI on the year, which tied him for the sixth-best total in program history. Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.), Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) and Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) drove in two runs apiece.

Needing a win to clinch the SAC regular season title, the Railsplitters were shut out by Chris Ayers and Ryan Owens. After racking up at least nine hits in each of its past nine games, Lincoln Memorial was held to just four singles in game two. The Trojans scored its five runs—all unearned—in the third inning. The only other time Lincoln Memorial was shut out during the season was its season-opening game at USC Aiken. The team also only mustered two hits in that game, which was the only time it racked up fewer than its four in game two.

The Railsplitters receive a first-round bye in the SAC championship before playing at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn. Friday, April 28 against the highest remaining seed of the bottom four.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 11, Anderson 3
Wages' first-inning shot staked Elliott to an early 3-0 lead, and Ewers' single in the fourth added another run.

Anderson cut its deficit in half with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth. Avery Green reached on an infield hit to third baseman Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.), while Kalman and Tyler Adams (Woodstock, Ga.) committed errors in the inning that allowed the runs to score.

The Railsplitters got both of those runs back in the next frame. Anderson committed an error of its own to allow the first run to score, and the other came around on a double play.

Lincoln Memorial put the game away with a five-run seventh to go ahead 11-2. Augustine and Clark each hit two-run singles, and Ewers brought in the other run on a bases-loaded walk as the team batted around.

Elliott worked into the eighth but allowed the first two batters of the inning to reach before being pulled. The leadoff batter eventually came around to score, which accounted for Elliott's only earned run against.
 
Game Two: Anderson 5, Lincoln Memorial 0

Ayers only allowed a single to Clark in the third before giving way to Owens, who picked up his fifth win of the year by pitching the final 4.2 innings. The Railsplitters only had two instances of a player advancing as far as second base, and both were left stranded.

Anderson's five-run rally started with Tyler Miller striking out but reaching on a wild pitch. He later scored the team's first run on another Kalman error. An infield single to Kalman plated Anderson's second run two batters later. Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) uncorked another wild pitch during the next at-bat to bring in another run.
Jackson Strange plated the final two with a double to left center.

All five unearned runs were charged to Morabito, who lasted just three-plus innings. He allowed five hits and walked two while tossing two costly wild pitches. Cody Hinson (Taylor Ridge, Ill.) relieved him in the fourth and allowed just one hit while recording the final nine outs.