Salisbury, NC -- The Lincoln Memorial baseball team dropped the opening game of a three-game weekend conference series on Friday, falling 6-2 to the third-ranked Catawba College Indians. Entering the match up as the top team in the conference with a 29-7 overall record and a 20-4 mark in league play, the home side managed to withstand a resilient Railsplitters squad. Lincoln Memorial arrived at the series looking to close the gap in the standings, carrying an impressive 26-13 overall record and a 17-7 conference mark that placed them just one game out of second place. Despite the loss, the Railsplitters showed flashes of power and defensive grit against one of the nation's top-ranked programs.
The Catawba Indians established an early lead in the bottom of the first inning by manufacturing two runs on four hits. After a double to left center put a runner in scoring position, a single to left drove in the game's first run. A later single to left center extended the advantage to 2-0 before the first frame concluded. The lead grew to four in the second inning following a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to right field. Lincoln Memorial starter Payton Armour worked to settle the game after the initial surge, eventually pitching six full innings and striking out three batters while navigating a potent lineup that finished the day with 14 hits.
The Railsplitters found their offensive spark in the top of the fourth inning to cut the deficit in half. After Peyton Mullanix drew a walk, Alex Kowalski connected on a two-run home run to left center, bringing the score to 4-2. It was the primary scoring output for Lincoln Memorial, as the Catawba Indians' pitching staff held the Railsplitters to five hits throughout the afternoon. Catawba responded in the fifth inning with a solo home run to right center to extend the lead to 5-2, and they added a final insurance run in the eighth via an RBI single to left center.
Defensively, the Railsplitters saw relief work from Bradric Helton, who pitched two innings and struck out two. Gabe Gray and CJ Dugan each contributed hits to the Railsplitter effort, while Caleb Jordan reached base after being hit by a pitch. However, the Lincoln Memorial bats were silenced in the final frame as the side went down in order in the top of the ninth. The Railsplitters left five runners on base during the contest and will look to bounce back and even, and take, the series in the remaining two games of the weekend set on Saturday.
