Salisbury, NC - Following a season-high five home runs against Tusculum in game one of the SAC Baseball Tournament, the Lincoln Memorial baseball team was up against the top-seeded Catawba Indians on Saturday. Catawba advanced to the winner's bracket in walk-off fashion against Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday night. Earlier this season, Catawba swept Lincoln Memorial 3-0 in Harrogate.

Eli Edds got his first start in a conference tournament game, and put on a master class from the mound for the Railsplitters, tallying nine strikeouts, pitching a complete game. Edds and the Lincoln Memorial defense were absolutely dominant, holding Catawba scoreless throughout the entire game. With a season-high five home runs in the opening game of the tournament, the Railsplitters' bats stayed hot against the Indians, recording four home runs in game two. Every Lincoln Memorial run came via home run. Catawba pitcher Payne Stolsworth had only allowed three home runs all season, but gave up three to Lincoln Memorial through five innings. Sam Mast broke open the scoring with a three-run rocket in the second inning following base hits by Alex Kowalski and Ryan Kurth, seeing Lincoln Memorial take a 3-0 lead early on. With the Railsplitters' defense seemingly impenetrable, the Indians were unable to produce a run.

After a scoreless third inning from each team, Edds dominated from the bump in the top of the fourth, forcing another goose egg from Catawba. Following a base hit from Chris Hall, Mitch Petzelt kept the bats sizzling with a two-run moonshot to extend the Lincoln Memorial lead to 5-0 through four quick innings. Edds and the Railsplitters' defense dominated the fifth inning, keeping the Indians off the board. In the bottom of the inning, SAC Player of the Year Carson Boles connected on a no-doubter for Lincoln Memorial's third home run of the game, taking a 6-0 lead into the sixth inning. The Railsplitters' defense continued to impose its will on the Indians, retiring the side on a double play in the top of the sixth. The Indians returned the favor in the bottom of the inning, retiring three straight batters on strikeouts.

Lincoln Memorial failed to relent in the top of the seventh inning as Edds continued to sit down batter after batter. Neither team found a run in the seventh as both defense held strong. Lincoln Memorial again held Catawba to nothing in the top of the eighth. However, in the bottom half of the inning, Cameron Bowen blasted a solo shot cannonball out of the park to extend the Railsplitters' lead to 7-0 with only three Catawba batters standing between Lincoln Memorial and victory. Edds and the Lincoln Memorial defense dominated in the final frame, securing the 7-0 victory, inching closer to the SAC Baseball Tournament Championship Series.

Edds pitched a complete game, allowing four hits, zero runs, and zero earned runs with three walks and nine strikeouts.

CAT: 000 000 000 0 4 0
LMU: 030 210 01x 7 9 0

WP: Edds (7-5)
LP: Stolsworth (10-3)