KODAK, Tenn. – Tyler Adams (Woodstock, Ga.) went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) belted a key three-run homer to lead second-seeded Lincoln Memorial (32-17) into Monday's championship round of the 2017 Pilot/Flying J South Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship at Smokies Stadium with a 10-6 triumph over top-seeded Catawba (37-13).

Game Highlights 

The Railsplitters are the only undefeated team left in the double-elimination tournament and will await their opponent until after Sunday's slate of games conclude. Seventh-seeded Carson-Newman and third-seeded Newberry play an elimination game Sunday afternoon, and the winner of that game will face Catawba in another elimination game immediately after.

Whoever wins will face Lincoln Memorial at 1 p.m. Monday. By virtue of being the tournament's only remaining undefeated team, the Railsplitters will have two chances to emerge victorious and claim an automatic berth to the NCAA Southeast Regional. Should Lincoln Memorial lose, the two teams would play a winner-take-all game immediately after.

With one more victory, Lincoln Memorial can claim its second SAC championship. Monday will be the program's second trip to the championship round and first since defeating Carson-Newman in 2013 to claim the title.

The Railsplitters snapped Catawba's 10-game win streak and picked up its first ever win over the Indians in the SAC Championship. Catawba entered Sunday's game 5-0 all-time against the Railsplitters in the tournament and had eliminated Lincoln Memorial each time.

With the 10 more runs Sunday, the Railsplitters have put up a double-digit run total in all three of its SAC Championship games and 11 of its past 12 games overall. The team has also racked up at least 11 hits in all three games and 12 of 13 games after adding 11 more in the win.

Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) and Connor Johnson engaged in a rare pitching duel through the first half of the game. Lincoln Memorial led just 1-0 through the game's first four innings before each team scored in the next four frames.

Morabito picked up his second victory of the year over the Indians and seventh overall. The All-SAC honorable mention selection allowed four runs in seven innings and struck out five while allowing a walk and 10 hits.

Johnson allowed three runs—two earned—in 5.1 innings. He held the Railsplitter in offense for most of the afternoon, giving up just five hits and one walk. He also hit a batter that came around to score. The five Catawba relievers after him combined to allow seven runs over the next 3.2 innings. Clay Young took the loss to fall to 4-1.

Catawba's loaded offense, which ranked second nationally in batting average and hits during the regular season, produced 12 hits against the Railsplitters. Bryce Fowler went 3-for-4, and four Indians produced two hits apiece. Fowler and Jeremy Simpson each drove in three runs. 

Lincoln Memorial broke through against Johnson in the bottom of the second. Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch and stole second—just the senior's third swipe of the year and fourth of his career. Adams's two-out single up the middle brought him in for the game's first run.

Catawba tied the game in the fifth on back-to-back hits by Malachi Hanes and Bryce Fowler. Hanes doubled to the gap in right center, and Fowler singled up the middle to bring him in.

The Railsplitters took advantage of a Catawba miscue in the bottom half of the fifth to re-take the lead. Muta Crusoe (Bellwood, Ill.) led off the inning with a single to center. Hanes, the center fielder, mishandled the ball, which allowed Crusoe to advance all the way to third.

The Indians again tied the game in the sixth. SAC Player of the Year Luke Setzer singled, stole second and came around on a Simpson single. Lincoln Memorial again took the lead in the bottom half of the inning. First Team All-SAC selection Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) walked, stole second and scored on a Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) single. That run was Augustine's 68^th of the year, which sets a new program record.

Catawba took its first lead of the game, 4-3, on Simpson's two-run single in the top of the seventh. It didn't last long as the Railsplitters answered back with four runs of their own in the bottom half. Nate Stinson (Jonesboro, Ga.) singled in the tying run, and Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) followed with another single to put the Railsplitters up for good. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks put Lincoln Memorial up 7-4.

Cody Hinson (Taylor Ridge, Ill.) relieved Morabito in the eighth inning. Catawba loaded the bases against him before he gave way to Chase Randolph (Harriman, Tenn.). Fowler's two-run single up the middle cut Lincoln Memorial's lead to 7-6, but Randolph then got Nick Coble to strike out and Jackson Raper to ground into an inning-ending double play to escape the jam.

Ewers' three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth gave the Railsplitters their largest lead of the day at 10-6.

Randolph retired Setzer, Simpson and Zach Almond, the team's 1-2-3 hitters, in order to pick up the save.

Lincoln Memorial's 32 wins are tied with the 2009 team for the most under coach Jeff Sziksai.