HICKORY, N.C. – The Lincoln Memorial University baseball team were able to complete the comeback victory, 9-7, in eleven innings over No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday night in North Carolina.
 
The Railsplitters got to work early in the first as Chris Hall lead the game off with a first pitch ground-rule double before Cameron Bowen was given first on a walk. A Carson Boles double down the left line saw Hall and Bowen tag home to give the Splitters a 2-0 lead early, but the Bears were able to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne made quick work on the mound to start the second, making LMU go threeup three down before they were able to take the lead, 3-2, on an RBI single from Laskowski in the bottom of the second.
 
The score held at 3-2 before the Bears were able to get their offense going in the fourth as they further pushed their lead to 6-2 over LMU. Lenoir-Rhyne then again scored another run in the fifth on a solo home run to make it 7-2.
 
Heading into the final stretch, the Railsplitters found themselves looking at a comeback and it did not deter the 'Splitters as they were able to lay down hits in the seventh to get runners in scoring position early. A pitching change by L-R gave LMU a new set of pitches, but Ryan Kurth took the hit by pitch with the bases loaded to start the comeback, 7-3 L-R. Sam Mast then drew the walk cutting the Bears' lead down to three, 7-4, heading into the eighth.
 
The Railsplitters threatened again in the eighth and it looked like Lenoir-Rhyne might have won the contest, but Lincoln Memorial was able to even the contest up at 7-all in a wild ninth inning. Kurth lead off with a base hit down the left field line before Kasten Harvey was able to get runners in scoring with a single of his own.
 
Andrew Keene then forced the Bears' defense to make a fielder's choice, allowing him to reach first before the Bears made an error that allowed Harvey and Kurth to score, making it 7-6 L-R. Keene then stole third and was able to make it home after a throwing error by the Bears' catcher, making it 7-all after nine innings played.
 
Going to extra innings for just the third time this season, the Railsplitters rode the momentum into the tenth as they were able to keep the Lenoir-Rhyne bats at bay before Lincoln Memorial was able to get things going in the eleventh.
 
Harvey drew the walk to start the eleventh before Keene was hit by the next pitch to give the Splitter two runners on. A passed ball moments later allowed both LMU runners to get into scoring position before Tucker Hagan was able to lay down the single to right field, giving Harvey and Keene the chance to score, giving Lincoln Memorial the 9-7 lead over L-R. Beau Nichols was able to shut down the Bears in the eleventh to give the 'Splitters the comeback win over No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne.
 
Up Next
 
The Railsplitters will head back to the diamond in Hickory to complete the series against the No. 20 Bears. The doubleheader is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. EST at Durham Field.
 
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms —@LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram — for complete coverage of Railsplitter baseball through the 2022 season.