ANDERSON, S.C. – Ethan Elliott made a run at the program and South Atlantic Conference record for strikeouts to lead the Railsplitters to a 9-0 win over Anderson in the conference opener on Sunday night in Anderson, S.C. 
 
Throughout Elliott's entire three-plus-year run with the Railsplitters, the senior has delivered an untold number of impressive pitching performances, but they all pale in comparison to what he did against the Trojans (6-4, 0-1 SAC). 
 
The reigning SAC Pitcher of the Year struck out 17 batters over 8.1 innings of work, allowing just six singles to improve to 3-1 and drop his season ERA to a remarkable 1.14 through four starts. The 17 strikeouts fell just one shy of matching the program record set by Bill Bolden in 1917 and two short of the SAC record established by Wingate's Danny Lampley in 1998. 
 
Elliott struck out the side in four different innings and rattled off seven straight strikeouts from the bottom of the sixth through the end of the eighth. He looked to be in line for a complete game until a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth ended his day. Matt Walczak came on with one out and one on and picked right back up where Elliott left off, striking out the only two batters he faced to end the game. 
 
Four different players recorded two hits apiece to lead Lincoln Memorial (7-6, 1-0 SAC) offensively. Chris Salvey went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, Will Reddick added a pair of singles with an RBI, Brent Richey went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Marco Rios chipped in two singles. Dalton Dedas reached three times with a single, two walks and an RBI. 
 
The Railsplitters jumped all over the Trojans right out of the gate, capitalizing on some costly miscues to hang five runs on the board in the top of the first. 
 
Anderson seemingly ended the first inning with a strikeout of Reddick, but the left fielder reached base thanks to a passed ball, putting two on for Richey. The right fielder delivered with two-out single through the left side of the infield. The most costly play of the game happened in the next at-bat, though, as Dedas popped a ball into right field that was misplayed, allowing three more runs to come home. 
 
Will Gee kept the Railsplitters in check after that, allowing only three hits total over the next six innings, but the damage was already done. 
 
Lincoln Memorial added four runs in the top of the ninth to put the game completely out of reach. Seth Hunt walked and Joe Stucky was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Nate Stinson, Salvey and Reddick, who delivered three consecutive run-scoring hits. Dedas drove in the final run of the inning and the game with an RBI single back up the middle. 
 
Jackson Strange and Will O'Brien paced Anderson with two hits apiece. Six different Trojans struck out at least two times, including a four-strikeout day for Brandon Odachowski. 
 
Gee took the loss, falling to 1-2 after giving up five hits and five unearned runs with five strikeouts and three walks over 6.2 innings of work. 
 
The Railsplitters and Trojans will complete their series on Monday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Live stats and video links are available at www.lmurailsplitters.com.