Harrogate, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial baseball team secured yet another South Atlantic Conference series victory this weekend, this time over Coker University on Saturday, rebounding from a mid-day setback to claim two of three games over the weekend. After opening the series with a win, the Railsplitters experienced a back-and-forth doubleheader that saw them fall 8-5 in the first game of the day before dominant pitching and a high-scoring second inning led to a 4-1 series-clinching victory in the finale.
In the first game of the Saturday doubleheader, Lincoln Memorial fell behind early as Coker plated a run in the third and two more in the fifth. The Railsplitters struggled to find their rhythm offensively until the seventh inning when Gabe Gray sparked a rally with a run-scoring single that brought home Ronny Matti. Caleb Jordan followed with a sacrifice fly to narrow the deficit to 4-2. Following a scoreless eighth, the Lincoln Memorial offense came alive in the bottom of the ninth. Kevin Fernandez scored on a Jordan single, and Brady Morse added another run-scoring single to drive in Gray. Alex Kowalski was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Jordan, and Brooks Hagedorn tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI single that scored Ayden Jackson. However, the momentum shifted in the eleventh inning when Coker utilized four hits and a Lincoln Memorial error to score three unearned runs. Despite a leadoff triple by Jordan in the bottom of the frame, the Railsplitters could not answer, resulting in an 8-5 loss. Adrian Smith provided a solid start on the mound, tossing six and one-third innings while striking out three, while Bradric Helton took the loss in relief despite allowing only one earned run over four and two-thirds innings.
Lincoln Memorial wasted no time asserting dominance in the series finale, using a four-run second inning to secure the rubber match. The scoring began when Hagedorn walked and eventually crossed the plate on a wild pitch Gray extended the lead with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Nick Kaelin. Jordan then delivered a massive blow with an RBI triple to right center, and Morse capped the outburst with a run-scoring single to left. The Railsplitter pitching staff took over from there, stifling the opposition's bats for the remainder of the afternoon. Eli Edds earned the win with a masterful performance, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five across six innings of work. Dylan Maire entered in the seventh to shut the door, retiring the side in order to earn the save and clinch the 4-1 victory. Peyton Mullannix led the offensive effort in the finale with two hits, including a double, while Jordan finished the day with three hits and two runs batted in across the two contests.
