HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial baseball team squandered a five-run lead in the final two innings to suffer a shocking 11-10 loss in the opener of its doubleheader against the Queens Royals, but bounced back behind a gem from right-hander Matt Mullenbach to win the series finale 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Lamar Hennon Field. 
 
The Railsplitters (23-9, 12-3 SAC) were in cruise control in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, taking a 10-5 lead into the top of the eighth inning. However, the Royals (8-20, 2-10 SAC) scored six unanswered runs all off of four home runs – including three in the top of the ninth inning – to rally all the way back for the 11-10 victory. 
 
The loss snapped Lincoln Memorial's 11-game winning streak and seven-game South Atlantic Conference winning streak, while Queens, a first-year program, picked up just the second conference win in program history. 
 
While pitching let the Railsplitters down in game one, it saved them in game two, as Mullenbach delivered a complete-game shutout to carry Lincoln Memorial to victory in a 1-0 game that lasted a hair over 90 minutes. That win helped the Railsplitters win their third straight SAC series and fourth in five tries this season. 
 
Lincoln Memorial is back in action on Tuesday with a trip to Louisville, Ky., to face the Bellarmine Knights in a doubleheader set for a noon start. 
 
Game One: Queens 11, Lincoln Memorial 10 
 
The Royals trailed 3-0 through three innings and 10-5 through seven frames, but used a home run spree to earn a gutsy come-from-behind win.  
 
Lincoln Memorial struck first, scoring a run in the first and two more in the second. Seth Hunt led off the home half of the first with a single and scored three batters later on a wild pitch, while a sac fly from Dalton Dedas and an RBI single from Tyler Adams comprised the two-run second. 
 
After working through some trouble to keep Queens scoreless through the early innings, Eli Wright was touched up a bit in the fourth frame, as a throwing error and two hit by pitches loaded the bases for Alex Sexton, who drove home two runs with a double. Chase Hager then tripled home two more runs two batters later to put the Royals in front and end Wright's day. 
 
Hudson Widrig was called on in relief after Hager's triple, halting the rally with a groundout to short. 
 
The Railsplitters quickly responded in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs with two outs. A single from Marco Rios and a double from Hunt put two runners on for Adams, who tied the game with a single back up the middle. Chris Salvey then put Lincoln Memorial in the lead with his second towering home run in as many games. Salvey's eighth blast of the season made it a 7-4 lead for the 'Splitters. 
 
Ryan Dudney's solo shot in the top of the fifth brought the Royals back within two until the Railsplitters used two throwing errors by the Queens third baseman to plate three more runs in the bottom of that inning. Hunt had an RBI single in the frame to put the Railsplitters ahead 10-5 at the end of five. 
 
That's where the score stayed until Tanner Jacobson sparked the Royals' comeback with a pinch-hit, two-out, two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning off Widrig, which cut the deficit to 10-7. 
 
Devin Morris was then brought in to close out the game for the Railsplitters in the top of the ninth. After getting leadoff hitter Dominic Ford to foul out to right field, Noah Jones and Nick Melton hit back-to-back home runs to make it a one-run game. Dudney kept the rally going with a single through the left side before Anthony Orta put the punctuation mark on it with a no-doubt home run over the left-field wall. 
 
Jacobson took over on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, working a 1-2-3 inning to put the finishing touches on the Royals' win. 
 
Hunt went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, Adams finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run, Salvey was 2-for-5 with three RBI, and Will Reddick went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles. The Railsplitters finished with 11 hits as a team, but also struck out a season-high 13 times. 
 
Five players had multiple hits for the Royals, who scattered eight extra-base hits, including five home runs. Landen Wright picked up the win after tossing a scoreless bottom of the eighth with two strikeouts, while Jacobson picked up the save. 
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 1, Queens 0 
 
While there was offense aplenty in game one, there was almost none in game two as Mullenbach and Queens starter Lee Harrison went toe-to-toe in an old-fashioned pitchers duel. 
 
Mullenbach was absolutely brilliant, allowing only four singles and two walks while striking out eight in a complete-game shutout to improve to 3-2 on the season. Of the four hits off Mullenbach, only one left the infield on Orta's blooper to right field. 
 
The senior righty allowed just two runners to reach scoring position in his second complete game of the season. 
 
Harrison was almost Mullenbach's equal as the Royals righty gave up only five hits and one lone run while striking out seven in the hard-luck loss. 
 
The Railsplitters had opportunities early, leaving two stranded with one out in the first and another stranded in the second. However, Lincoln Memorial used a little bit of luck to notch the only run of the game in the bottom of the third. 
 
Hunt led off with a single, while a hit by pitch and a fielder's choice allowed him to reach third base. An ill-timed passed ball then brought Hunt across and put the Railsplitters up 1-0. 
 
Neither team even remotely threatened after that until Orta drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh. However, Mullenbach induced an infield popup and a groundout to shortstop Adams to end the game. 
 
Hunt and Reddick went 2-for-3 at the plate to account for four of the Railsplitters' five hits. Nate Stinson notched LMU's only other hit in the game with a single. 
 
Four different players had singles for the Royals.