HARTSVILLE, S.C. –The Lincoln Memorial University baseball team dropped the first of a three-game series at Coker 10-7 Friday evening at Tom J. New Field at Dave Schmotzer Stadium. The Railsplitters (23-15, 9-10 SAC) dropped their fifth straight while Coker (12-20, 2-17 SAC) snapped an eight-game losing streak.
 
The Cobras tallied a season-high 16 hits. Thomas Lopez finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI. Brooks Estrada added three hits and an RBI. Reilly Hall went 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI. Three other Cobras also notched two hits apiece. Lopez, Estrada and two other players each scored two runs.
 
LMU had 13 hits of its own led by Nate Stinson's three. Seth Hunt, Justin Shaw, Chris Salvey and Tyler Adams each recorded two. Will Reddick was the only Railsplitter to drive in two runs while Dalton Dedas was the only one to score twice. Lincoln Memorial had base runners in all but one inning but also grounded into four double plays and stranded 10.
 
Ethan Elliott endured one of the worst starts of his career to pick up the loss to fall to 5-3. The junior lefty allowed a career-worst nine runs and 12 hits, though only five were earned. Elliott's 4.2 innings pitched tied a season low, though he did strike out six and only walk one batter.
 
His counterpart, Griffin Hollifield, also allowed five earned runs and 12 hits. The righty allowed six runs total in 7.1 innings to improve to 3-3. He also struck out four and walked three. Jake Moore held LMU scoreless over the final 1.2 innings to earn the save.
 
Coker recorded an RBI single in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead. The Railsplitters tied the score with three runs in the top of the fifth. Reddick drove in the first run on a fielder's choice, and Shaw and Salvey had RBI singles later in the frame.
 
The Cobras went up for good with six runs off Elliott in the bottom half of the fifth. An RBI single, Lopez two-run double and Hall three-run triple accounted for the damage.
 
Hall drove in another run in the seventh with an RBI single to expand the Cobra lead to 10-3.
 
The Railsplitters rallied for four runs in the eighth to cut the score to 10-7. Stinson and Joe Stucky singled in runs. Reddick drove in another with a sac fly. Another run scored on an error. LMU left the bases loaded after Timmy Wages struck out to end the inning.
 
Lincoln Memorial brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Dedas grounded into a double play to end the game.
 
The two teams return to the field tomorrow morning with a doubleheader beginning at 8 a.m.
 
Quick Hits
 
- Lincoln Memorial pitching allowed a season-high 16 hits.
 
- The Railsplitters have allowed at least 10 runs in five straight games for the first time in program history. The team had done so in four straight on several occasions.
 
- LMU hitting has racked up at least 12 hits on three occasions during the team's five-game losing streak.