Harrogate, TN - After opening its season with its first five games on the road, the Lincoln Memorial baseball team opened its home slate on Friday, hosting the Quincy Hawks. Quincy jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead thanks to hot bats, but the Railsplitters refused to lay over, coming back to claim a 7-6 victory in their home opener.

In the top of the first inning, the Hawks got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 4-0 lead following four hits. The Railsplitters countered with a run in the bottom of the first when Kasten Harvey reached base on an error, stole second base, and reached home as Alex Kowalski grounded out to second base. Lincoln Memorial was unable to chip away any further at the deficit and took back over on defense. Quincy remained hot on the sticks, adding three hits and a run in the second inning, however, the Lincoln Memorial defense forced a double play to stop the bleeding, allowing only one run in the inning, leaving the score at 5-1 in favor of the Hawks. The Railsplitters added one run in the bottom of the inning when Archer Wong-Shasteen singled to left field and was later driven home on a double from Ford Hallock, cutting the score to 5-2.

The Lincoln Memorial defense once again stood tall in the top of the third inning, holding Quincy scoreless and getting out of the inning with another double play. The Railsplitter bats came alive in the bottom of the third, driving in three runs to tie the game 5-5. Harvey was walked to start the bottom of the third. An error by the Hawk's third basemen allowed Kowalski to reach first and inevitably advance to third, seeing Harvey score a run. On the ensuing at-bat, Sam Mast drove in Kowalski, cutting the deficit to one run, 5-4. After CJ Dugan was walked, Hallock reached first on an error, allowing Dugan to cross the plate and and tie the game at 5-5.

After holding Quincy scoreless yet again in the top of the fourth, the Railsplitters took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the inning. Chris Hall reached first on a wild pitch and then stole second. Another wild pitch saw Hall advance to third base. Yet another error by the Hawks allowed Mast to reach first on an error, seeing Hall cross home plate and give the Railsplitters their first lead of the game, 6-5. Both offenses sputtered through the fifth and sixth inning to leave Lincoln Memorial in control 6-5 heading into seventh.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Hawks evened the score when the Railsplitters committed a fielding error, allowing the base runner to take home and knot the game at 6-6. Lincoln Memorial was unable to regain the advantage in the bottom of the inning, but were able to hold Quincy off the board in the top of the eighth, leaving the score knotted at 6-6. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with Dugan on base, Hallock was walked, seeing Dugan take home on a wild pitch, scoring the go-ahead game-winning run. Lincoln Memorial held Quincy scoreless in the top of the ninth to secure the comeback victory in its home opener, 7-6. The Railsplitters only had three hits, but thanks to four errors by the Hawks, were able to add seven runs during the game. CJ Dugan, Archer Wong-Shasteen, and Ford Hallock all tallied hits for Lincoln Memorial. Hallock led the way with three RBI. Kowalski and Mast each added two RBI.

Eli Edds got the start from the mound for Lincoln Memorial, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing 10 hits, five runs, and five earned runs with one walk and three strikeouts. Payton Armour pitched 2.0 innings in relief allowing two hits, one run, and no earned with no walks and four strikeouts. Carter White pitched 1.0 inning in relief, allowing one hit, no runs, and no earned runs with no walks and two strikeouts. He was credited with the win. Merrick Graham pitched the final inning, allowing two hits, no runs, and no earned runs with no walks and two strikeouts to record the save.

With the victory, the Railsplitters improved to 3-3 on the season. Game two between the Hawks and Railsplitters is slated for 1 PM on Saturday at Lamar Hennon Field in Harrogate.

LMU: 113 100 01x 7 3 2
QU: 410 000 100 6 15 4

WP: C. White (1-1)
S: Graham, 1
LP: T. Conzemius (0-1)

LMU: Edds, Armour, White, and Graham.
QU: Ruffner and Conzemius