Harrogate, TN – The Lincoln Memorial baseball team secured a hard-fought series victory on Saturday, defeating Carson-Newman 12-10 in the opening game of a doubleheader. The Railsplitters overcame an early deficit with massive scoring outbursts in the third and fourth innings to hold off the Eagles and clinch the set. Despite a late push by the Eagles, the Lincoln Memorial pitching staff remained composed in the final frames to preserve the win.

The Eagles jumped out to a quick lead, scoring twice in the first and adding another in the second. By the top of the third inning, the Eagles had extended their advantage to 6-0 following a series of doubles. However, the Railsplitters responded in the bottom of the third by capitalizing on defensive miscues. Brady Morse started the scoring with a two-run double that brought home Gabe Gray and Kevin Fernandez. Payton Mullannix followed with an RBI single, and CJ Dugan added another base hit to drive in a run. By the end of the frame, Aaron Hobson also crossed the plate on an error, cutting the lead to 6-5.

The Railsplitters took complete control in the fourth inning with a six-run explosion. Gray scored on an RBI single by Morse to tie the game before Hobson cleared the bases with a three-run double to left field. Dugan and Luke Lowery followed with RBI plays of their own to push the lead to 11-6. The Railsplitters added an insurance run in the fifth when Ronny Matti singled to center field, allowing Morse to score and making it a 12-6 ballgame.

The Eagles attempted a comeback in the sixth inning, taking advantage of two errors and a triple to score four unearned runs. This narrowed the gap to 12-10, but the Lincoln Memorial bullpen locked down the contest from there. Following the start from the bump for Dylan Maire, Lucas Smith provided relief in the middle innings, and Jack Santi took the mound in the seventh and navigated a late scoring threat. The Railsplitters defense stood tall in the ninth, retiring the side in order to finish the game and secure the series win, 12-10, ahead of the series finale.

The Lincoln Memorial offense was firing on all cylinders, collecting thirteen hits and drawing seven walks to produce twelve runs. Hobson and Morse led the charge with three RBIs each, with Hobson sparking the fourth-inning rally on a three-run double. Morse finished the day with two hits and three runs scored, while Dugan also contributed a multi-hit performance with two RBIs. Mullannix and Matti each added two hits and an RBI to the total, while Gray and Fernandez set the table at the top and bottom of the lineup, combining for three runs scored. Lowery also chipped in an RBI to help the Railsplitters maintain their offensive pressure throughout the middle innings.

On the mound, Maire earned the start and pitched two and a third innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits. Smith took over in relief to navigate the middle frames, throwing three and any third innings and allowing only one earned run to pick up his first win of the season. Santi provided a dominant finish to the contest, throwing three scoreless innings of two-hit ball and striking out two batters to earn the save.

In the series finale, the Railsplitters dropped the final game of the Saturday doubleheader, falling 4-0 in a seven-inning contest. Despite the shutout loss in the series finale, the Railsplitters secured the overall series victory by winning two of the three games over the weekend. The outcome allowed the Railsplitters to clinch the set against their rivals even as the visitors managed to salvage the final game behind a disciplined pitching performance.

The Eagles established an early lead in the first inning by capitalizing on a lead-off single and a wild pitch to drive in the opening run. Gray and Mullannix both reached safely for the Railsplitters in the bottom half of the frame to put runners in scoring position, but the defense held firm to strand the pair. The Lincoln Memorial offense struggled to find a consistent rhythm for the remainder of the afternoon, as the lineup was limited to just four hits throughout the game.

The lead grew in the third inning as Carson-Newman used a hit batsman and a pair of RBI singles to extend the margin to three. Eli Edds worked through five innings on the mound to keep the Railsplitters within striking distance, and Gavin Zoeller provided steady work out of the bullpen in relief, but the bats could not provide the necessary support. Morse and Gray each managed to reach base in the middle innings, but double plays and fly outs halted any potential momentum for the home side.
A final insurance run was added in the top of the seventh inning following a two-out double to left center. The Railsplitters were unable to mount a late comeback in their final at-bat as the side was retired in order to preserve the shutout. While the finale did not go in favor of the blue and gray, Lincoln Memorial concludes the weekend with a series win in the books to improve to 5-6 overall and 2-1 in conference play ahead of a midweek contest with Thomas More on Tuesday.