Nashville, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial University baseball team traveled to Nashville on Tuesday night for a non-conference match up against the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans, ultimately falling by a score of 11-6. The loss resulted in a split of the regular season home-and-home series between the two programs. Despite a powerful mid-game surge from the Railsplitters, a late offensive explosion by the home team proved to be the difference in the contest.
Trevecca Nazarene opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when an RBI double brought home the first run of the night. Lincoln Memorial remained quiet until the top of the fourth when the offense came alive in spectacular fashion. After Peyton Mullannix singled and both Alex Kowalski and Nick Kaelin drew walks to load the bases, CJ Dugan launched a grand slam to left field. The four-run blast vaulted the Railsplitters into a 4-1 lead and provided a significant spark to the dugout.
The Trojans began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run to trim the deficit to a single run. However, Lincoln Memorial responded immediately in the top of the seventh. Caleb Jordan, who finished the night with three hits, singled to left and stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Brady Morse then stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run home run to left field, extending the Lincoln Memorial lead to 6-3.
The momentum shifted back to the home side in the bottom of the seventh when the Trojans answered with a two-run home run of their own to make it a 6-5 game. The decisive blow came in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Trojans manufactured six runs on four hits. The inning featured back-to-back solo home runs followed by a series of walks and a two-run double that allowed the Trojans to pull away for the 11-6 final margin.
On the mound, Lucas Smith started for the Railsplitters and provided three solid innings, allowing only one run on three hits while striking out two. Dylan Maire threw four innings of relief, racking up five strikeouts. Bradric Helton and Josh Jeffcoat also appeared in relief during the difficult eighth inning. Offensively, the Railsplitters were led by Jordan's three-hit performance and the long balls from Dugan and Morse, but the team ultimately left seven runners on base in the effort.
