HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial Baseball Team (27-16, 13-11 SAC) topped Emory & Henry College (12-35, 3-20 SAC) in both games of a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Railsplitters won game one in walk-off fashion by an 8-7 final before edging the Wasps 3-2 in the nightcap.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Lincoln Memorial 8, Emory & Henry 7
GAME TWO – Lincoln Memorial 3, Emory & Henry 2 (seven innings)
LOCATION – Harrogate, Tennessee
VENUE – Lamar Hennon Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (12-35, 3-20 SAC); Lincoln Memorial (27-16, 13-11 SAC)
Game One – Lincoln Memorial 8, Emory & Henry 7
LMU jumped out front in game one as they pushed two runs across in the bottom of the first. Carson Boles' RBI double and a run-scoring base hit from Kasten Harvey gave the Railsplitters the 2-0 advantage. E&H answered in the top of the second with an RBI groundout from fifth-year shortstop Mason Lyda (Mills River, N.C.) to make it 2-1.
The Wasps took the lead in the top of the third on back-to-back RBI singles from senior outfielder Jermie Greene, Jr. (Troutman, N.C.) and junior designated hitter Lane Gay (Keedysville, Md.) to give E&H the 3-2 lead. Emory & Henry added to its advantage in the visiting half of the fourth when senior outfielder Tyler Bradley (Bessemer City, N.C.) launched a two-run shot to run the Wasps' margin out to 5-2. The Railsplitters got one in the bottom of the fourth and another in the bottom of the sixth and the score stood at 5-4.
A sacrifice fly from senior second baseman Noah Mazza (Plainfield, Ill.) in the seventh made it 6-4 Wasps, but LMU posted three in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Cameron Bowen's two-run blast, to retake the lead 7-6. Greene, Jr. blasted a solo home run to leadoff the top of the ninth inning to draw things level heading to the bottom of the ninth, but a hit batter and a walk set the table for Chris Hall's walk-off RBI single as the home team took game one 8-7.
David Brian Ellison earned the win in game one after allowing one hit and one run in one inning of relief. Sophomore Jacob Nester (Hillsville, Va.) was the losing pitcher for the Wasps as he was responsible for the winning run in the ninth.
Game Two – Lincoln Memorial 3, Emory & Henry 2(seven innings)
The Wasps took the lead in the top of the first inning in game two as Bradley walked, junior outfielder Wayne Mize (Salisbury, N.C.) doubled and fifth-year designated hitter Matthew Long (Willow Spring, N.C.) plated Bradley with an RBI single to make it 1-0.
The bats for both teams were held silent through the middle innings as the score held until the bottom of the fourth. The Railsplitters capitalized on three singles and an E&H error to plate a pair of runs and jump in front for the first time in game two by a 2-1 margin.
The visitors from Emory had an immediate response as Lyda led off with a single in the top of the fifth, advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Mazza and scored on junior third baseman Jared Foley's (Sparta, N.C.) RBI double to pull back level at 2-2. LMU led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and scored the go-ahead run on a two-base error to take the lead 3-2. LMU recorded the final three outs to complete the weekend sweep.
Eli Edds earned the win on the mound for LMU as he went six innings, allowing two runs while scattering six hits and a pair of walks. Junior righty Hunter Kirkpatrick (Albany, Ore.) took a tough losing decision for E&H as he posted 5.1 strong innings of work, giving up six hits and just one earned run while striking out a career-high seven batters. Ellison picked up his eighth save of the season for the Railsplitters.
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