Harrogate, TN – One day after falling in game one of the three game series with 6th-ranked Catawba, the Lincoln Memorial baseball team was back in action on Sunday, seeking to claim both games of the doubleheader and the incredibly important series. The Railsplitters honored their seniors prior to Sunday's first game.
Both teams started off well defensively, holding one another scoreless through one inning of action. After once again holding the Catawba Indians scoreless in the top of the second, Lincoln Memorial took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning. After
Sam Mast walked,
Brooks Hagedorn singled to right center to drive in Mast and give the Railsplitters a slim 1-0 lead early in the game. After a quiet third inning, Catawba gained control in the top of the fourth inning, driving in two runs on a tandem of hits, taking a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning. Once again, the game went quiet as both teams were held scoreless in the fifth to leave the Catawba Indians narrowly in control, 2-1. The same could be said for the sixth inning before
Kasten Harvey connected on a solo shot home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to knot the game at deuces, 2-2, as the game moved into the seventh inning.
Colin Murphy's day stretched all the way into the ninth inning, earning a complete game.
The Railsplitters held the Catawba Indians off the scoreboard between the seventh and ninth inning, seeing the game stay knotted at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, giving Lincoln Memorial an opportunity to earn the win in walk-off fashion. However, the Railsplitters were unable to find any offensive success, seeing the game move into extra innings. Catawba was held off the scoreboard in the top of the 10th inning, allowing Lincoln Memorial another chance to walk the game off in the bottom of the 10th. Following hits from
CJ Dugan and
Kevin Fernandez,
Archer Wong-Shasteen walked to load the bases, bringing
Chris Hall to the plate. Following a pop out from Hall, Harvey flew out to right field, retiring the side, seeing the game stretch into the 11th inning. After once again retiring Catawba in the top half of the inning, the Railsplitters had their third opportunity of the game to win in walk-off fashion. However, Lincoln Memorial once again was unable to find a run offensively, seeing the game go into the 12th inning. Catawba was able to take the lead in the top of the 12th, adding one run to take a 3-2 lead. Lincoln Memorial was unable to score in the bottom of the 12th inning, seeing the Catawba Indians take the second game of the series, securing the series 2-1.
With one game remaining in the regular season and the series, the Railsplitters were seeking to finish the season on a high note. Catawba got off to a hot start, adding three runs in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead early on. The quick start quickly gave way to a defensive battle as both teams remained scoreless in the second and third innings, leaving the Catawba Indians in control 3-0 heading into the fourth inning. Neither team was able to add to its run total in the fourth inning. Catawba extended its lead to 6-0 in the top of the fifth inning on the heels of a quartet of hits. Lincoln Memorial was unable to add to its run total in the bottom of the inning, seeing the game move to the sixth inning with the Catawba Indians in control, 6-0. Catawba continued to pour it on in the latter part of the game, adding seven more runs in the top of the sixth to take a commanding 13-0 lead. The Railsplitters were able to add a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when
Kasten Harvey drove in
Archer Wong-Shasteen to bring the score to 13-1, which would be the game's final score, seeing Lincoln Memorial's season come to a close with an overall record of 24-23, including a 13-16 mark in conference play.