Hickory, NC -- The Lincoln Memorial baseball team traveled to face 16th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday for a high stakes rubber match to conclude the regular season. Following an emphatic 17-8 victory in the series opener and a tough 0-8 loss in the second game, the Railsplitters sought a series win in this winner-take-all finale before heading into the conference tournament next weekend. Despite an early lead and a mid game rally, the Railsplitters were unable to overcome a heavy offensive surge from the Bears, ultimately falling 16-6 in eight innings.
Lincoln Memorial found the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning when Gabe Gray reached on a single and eventually crossed the plate on a groundout by Brady Morse. However, Lenoir-Rhyne responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame by capitalizing on five hits and three walks to drive in seven runs. The Railsplitters showed resilience in the second inning as Nick Kaelin and CJ Dugan sparked a rally. Gray delivered a two run single to center field, followed by an RBI single from Caleb Jordan. A wild pitch later allowed Gray to score his second run of the day, cutting the deficit to 7-5.
The Bears extended their lead in the third and fourth innings by adding five additional runs on six hits, including a solo home run. Lincoln Memorial attempted to claw back in the fifth when Jordan drew a walk and Morse doubled down the left field line to drive him home. The momentum was stifled, however, when the Railsplitters hit into a rare triple play to end the inning. While the pitching staff saw relief efforts from Bradric Helton and Merrick Graham to keep the game within reach through the middle frames, the Lenoir-Rhyne offense ignited again in the eighth inning with six hits to pull away for the final margin.
The Railsplitters were led at the plate by Morse, who finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Gray contributed two hits and two runs scored, while Jordan, Ayden Jackson, and Dugan each recorded a hit. On the mound, Eli Edds was credited with the loss, while Bradric Helton provided three and a third innings of work, and Merrick Graham added three innings of relief with two strikeouts. Lincoln Memorial now shifts its focus toward postseason play as the conference tournament is scheduled to begin next weekend.
