Harrogate, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial baseball team dropped a Saturday doubleheader against 23rd-ranked Wingate University on Senior Day.
Before the second game of the afternoon, the program paused to celebrate Senior Day, honoring seven student-athletes for their contributions to the Railsplitter jersey. Kevin Fernandez, Ford Hallock, Alex Kowalski, Dylan Maire, Lucas Smith, Brady Morse, and Eli Edds were all recognized on the field in front of the home crowd. The emotional pre-game ceremony preceded a day of offensive fireworks where both teams showcased why they are perched near the top of the conference standings.
The opening game of the doubleheader saw Lincoln Memorial jump out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Following singles by Caleb Jordan and Alex Kowalski, Brady Morse drove in the first run of the day with a single through the left side. Ronny Matti and Cj Dugan followed with RBI singles of their own, quickly establishing a 3-0 cushion for the hosts. Adrian Smith started on the mound for the Railsplitters, navigating the early innings effectively before Wingate managed to scrape across a run in the third. Smith finished his outing with 5.1 innings of work, allowing five runs while striking out three.
Wingate mounted a major comeback in the sixth inning by launching two home runs to take a 5-3 lead. Lincoln Memorial responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame as Morse doubled to score Peyton Mullannix. Later in the inning, Gabe Gray delivered a clutch double through the left side to drive in two more runs, pushing the Railsplitters back in front 6-5. The back-and-forth battle continued in the seventh when Morse collected another RBI single, followed by a two-run home run from Dugan that extended the lead to 9-5. However, a five-run ninth inning propelled Wingate to a victory, evening the series at one game apiece.
The second game of the doubleheader was another offensive showcase, though Wingate controlled much of the early momentum. Eli Edds took the mound for his senior start, pitching 4.2 innings and striking out two. Wingate built a steady lead, scoring a run in the third and five more in the fifth to pull ahead 6-0. The Railsplitters' bats were held quiet until the bottom of the sixth inning when the offense finally ignited for six runs on only one hit.
During that sixth-inning rally, Lincoln Memorial utilized disciplined plate appearances and hit-by-pitches to narrow the gap. Kowalski was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score the first run, and Gray later scored on a wild pitch. Morse also earned an RBI after being hit by a pitch before Nick Kaelin delivered the biggest blow of the game, a three-run double to left field that pulled the Railsplitters within three runs. Despite the late surge, Wingate added insurance runs in the seventh against relievers Bradric Helton and Lucas Smith. Merrick Graham eventually entered to record the final outs of the game.
