HICKORY, N.C. -- Senior slugger
Kelvin Brito (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico) drove in three runs as the Railsplitters (9-7, 6-3 SAC) completed the sweep of the 23rd-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (11-5, 4-5 SAC) and moved into sole possession of second place in the South Atlantic Conference standings with a 12-3 win in Hickory, N.C. on Sunday afternoon.
Lincoln Memorial extended its season-high winning streak to six games and claimed its second-straight sweep over Lenoir-Rhyne. The Railsplitters have now won seven of the last eight meetings against the Bears.
After combining for 19 runs in Saturday's doubleheader sweep, the Railsplitters picked right back up on Sunday, amassing 12 runs on 10 hits. Lenoir-Rhyne didn't do itself any favors on the mound or in the field as the Bears' staff issued eight walks and the defense committed three miscues.
Lenoir-Rhyne produced two of its three runs with two outs in the top half of the first as Colby Dishmond singled and scored on a triple from Ryan Perkins. Will Thompson plated Perkins with a single into left field in the next at-bat.
The Railsplitters not only clawed out of that early deficit, but tripled up the Bears with a six-run flurry in the home half of the first. Lincoln Memorial batted all the way around in the inning despite mustering only two hits as two different Lenoir-Rhyne pitchers issued five walks.
Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.) led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch.
Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Brito drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, while
Ryan Burlison (Romeoville, Ill.) collected an RBI ground out.
Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) accounted for the only signficant hit of the inning with a two-out, two-run double.
The Railsplitters added two more runs in the bottom of the second on singles by Kalman and Brito.
Lincoln Memorial tacked on a run in both the third and fourth innings. Neiderland drew a one-out walk in the third, stole second and scored on a subsequent throwing error by the L-R third baseman. In the fourth,
Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) singled and scored two batters later on a single by Brito. Augustine was kept in scoring position by another error in the infield.
Josh Murphy drove in Lenoir-Rhyne's final run with a two-out single in the top of the fourth, while the Railsplitters continued to add to their total in the bottom of the sixth. Kalman walked and Burlison reached on a fielding error, extending the inning for Neiderland, who ripped a double into center field to make it a 12-3 lead.
While the offense continued to click, the Railsplitters received some solid pitching from both
Wes Todd (Thompson Station, Tenn.) and Augustine. After that early trouble, Todd settled in on the mound, tossing six innings while allowing seven hits and three earned runs. He struck out four batters and walked just one to improve to 2-1. Augustine did not surrender a single hit in three innings of relief, picking up the save in his first appearance on the mound since February 7.
Brito collected a game-high three RBI on a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, while Neiderland and Kalman added two RBI apiece.
Kyle Floyd (Windsor, Ill.) and Augustine both went 2-for-4 as that duo combined for five runs and two walks. Rodriguez drove in two runs in the contest.
The Railsplitters begin a six-game homestand on Wednesday by welcoming the North Greenville Crusaders to Lamar Hennon Field for a nonconference doubleheader. First pitch in game one is set for 1 p.m.
