Harrogate, TN -- Lincoln Memorial baseball pulled off a stunning late-inning comeback on Friday, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat twenty-third-ranked Wingate, 11-10. Entering the final frame trailing by seven, the Railsplitters ignited a historic rally to secure a victory in the opening game of their final home series of the regular season. The match up carried heavy postseason implications, as Wingate arrived with a 30-13 overall record and a second-place standing in the South Atlantic Conference. Lincoln Memorial, sitting fourth in the conference with a 26-17 record, used the walk-off win to bolster its position ahead of the upcoming conference tournament.
The game remained competitive through the early innings, with Lincoln Memorial taking a two to one lead by the third after CJ Dugan and Brady Morse each drove in runs. However, Wingate responded with a consistent offensive attack, capitalizing on Railsplitter errors and a four-run seventh inning to build a comfortable lead. The visitors extended their advantage to ten to three by the top of the ninth, leaving Lincoln Memorial with a daunting mountain to climb. Pitcher Lucas Smith earned the win in relief after navigating the ninth inning, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion that saw the Railsplitters go through three different opposing pitchers in the final half-inning.
The bottom of the ninth began with Ayden Jackson sparking the offense by hitting a triple to right field. Gabe Gray, who finished the day with two hits and a pair of walks, drove Jackson home with a single to start the scoring carousel. After Alex Kowalski singled to load the bases, Peyton Mullannix was hit by a pitch to force in a run, followed by consecutive bases-loaded walks issued to Brady Morse and Ronny Matti. With the score narrowed to ten to seven, Dugan delivered the biggest hit of the afternoon, a three-run double to left field that tied the game and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Following an intentional walk to reload the bases and a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Fernandez that moved the winning run to third, Caleb Jordan stepped to the plate with two outs. Jordan, who had already collected two hits earlier in the contest, lined a single to right field to score Dugan and complete the improbable comeback. The Railsplitters finished with fourteen hits on the day, led by three-hit performances from both Jordan and Jackson. The two teams will conclude their pivotal series tomorrow as Lincoln Memorial looks to take the series and carry the momentum into the final series of the regular season next weekend at Lenoir-Rhyne.
