GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – A second-half surge kept the postseason hopes alive for the Lincoln Memorial men's lacrosse team with a 19-14 South Atlantic Conference victory over the rival Tusculum Pioneers on Wednesday night at Pioneer Field. 
 
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Railsplitters (4-9, 2-5 SAC), who joined a collection of three other SAC teams with two conference victories this season, including Tusculum (6-5, 2-4 SAC). 
 
It was an impressive offensive performance that carried Lincoln Memorial to victory. The Railsplitters outshot the Pioneers 54-30, finishing one shot shy of tying the season-high mark that was set against Mars Hill, and fell just two goals shy of matching their season-high scoring watermark that was established in that same match. Lincoln Memorial also landed 32 shots on goal, good for the second-highest number this season. 
 
Six different players had multiple goals for the Railsplitters, led by Joe Conklin's five goals on 13 shots and seven shots on goal. Ian Cook scored four goals and handed out two assists, while Reggie Golfin chipped in three goals and an assist. Kyle Arcuri and Craig Settles produced two goals and two assists apiece, while Chris Tucker had two goals and an assist. Robert Tucker was also a factor with a goal and two assists. 
 
Keegan Bell led Tusculum with five goals and an assist. Lorenz Brown and Nate Raymond added two goals each, while Liam Macdonald and AJ Hems combined for seven assists with four and three, respectively. 
 
It was all Pioneers early as the home team used a 4-0 spurt powered by a pair of goals from Bell to race out to a 4-1 lead late in the first quarter. However, Golfin scored twice in the final 3:10 of the quarter to cut the Railsplitters' deficit down to 4-3 at the end of one. 
 
Bell scored twice more in the opening minute of what proved to be a wild second quarter that saw the two teams combine for 13 goals. Bell's two goals extended the Tusculum lead to 6-3, but the Railsplitters used a stout man-up offense to take control. 
 
After Conklin scored his second goal of the second quarter to close the gap to 7-6 with 10 minutes left, the Railsplitters converted three consecutive man-up goals – one from Settles, one from Arcuri and one from Cook – to pull ahead 9-7 by the eight-minute mark.
 
Tusculum answered with a 3-0 run to reclaim a 10-9 advantage, but Chris Tucker scored with 2:19 left in the second, and the LMU defense got a stop on the final possession of the half to send the two teams into the locker room tied at 10-10. 
 
The Railsplitters then took control right from the jump in the third quarter, as Robert Tucker scored 1:34 in and Conklin scored twice more to comprise a 3-0 opening flurry. 
 
Lincoln Memorial never relinquished the lead after that even though the Pioneers closed the gap to one goal twice over the remainder of the third quarter. While nursing a 14-13 advantage, the Railsplitters rattled off a 4-0 run that started in the final minute of the third and ended late in the fourth to put the game away. 
 
Cook scored with 37 seconds remaining in the third to start the run, while man-up goals from Arcuri and Settles ended it. 
 
Tusculum got back on the board with a goal from Jordan Daniel at the 6:50 mark of the fourth, but the Railsplitters notched the final score with 3:35 left on Cook's fourth goal of the night. 
 
In total, the Railsplitters outscored the Pioneers 9-4 in the second half while outshooting them by a healthy 29-10 margin as well. Lincoln Memorial's man-up unit also went an impressive 5-for-7. Additionally, the Railsplitters won 23 of the 38 face-offs and secured a 40-27 edge in ground balls. 
 
Lincoln Memorial closes out the regular season and hopes to lock down a SAC tournament berth on Saturday with a trip to Newberry. Game time is set for 3 p.m.