JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Railsplitters (11-7, 8-3 SAC) used the long ball to overcome a couple of late-inning deficits and sweep a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader from the Carson-Newman Eagles (9-9, 6-8 SAC) in Jefferson City, Tenn. on Saturday. With the two wins, Lincoln Memorial extended its season-long winning streak to eight games, the longest for the program since the 2009 campaign.
 
In the Railsplitters' lengthiest game since a 13-inning marathon against Wingate on March 9, 2013, Lincoln Memorial erased a one-run deficit with two outs and walked off with a 7-6 triumph in the 13th inning of game one on an RBI double by Kyle Floyd (Windsor, Ill.).
 
In game two, the Railsplitters belted three home runs in the last three innings to turn a five-run hole into 6-5 victory.
 
Lincoln Memorial extended its South Atlantic Conference winning streak to six games and took over a share of first place in the league standings.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 7, Carson-Newman 6 (13 innings)
 
Some late-inning heroics capped an absolutely bonkers game and helped the Railsplitters avoid what would have otherwise been a heart wrenching loss.
 
Lincoln Memorial got to Carson-Newman starter Quinton Yocom quickly in the bottom of the first. A Scott Miller (Knoxville, Tenn.) walk followed by a Floyd single put runners in scoring position for Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa), who drove in Miller with a single into center field. Kelvin Brito (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico) plated two more runs later in the inning with a two-out single back up the middle.
 
LMU starter Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) was spectacular through the first five innings, ripping through that stretch by facing just one batter over the minimum without allowing a single hit.
 
The wheels came off in the top of the sixth, though, as Joe Tipton was hit by a pitch and Ryan Addington ended Jean's no-hit bid with a double into right center. After a walk was issued to Eric Lynch, Bo Ausmus put the Eagles on the board with another double into the right-center gap. Evan Jurjevic gave Carson-Newman the lead with a two-run, two-bagger down the left field line.
 
After relinquishing four hits in the first frame, Yocom settled into a rhythm on the mound for the Eagles, allowing only two hits combined over the next six innings.
 
Carson-Newman, meanwhile, added an insurance run in the top of the eighth with a two-out, solo home run by Jurjevic.
 
Trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the resilient Railsplitters clawed back into it. Walks to Augustine and Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and a single by Brito loaded the bases for Ryan Burlison  (Romeoville, Ill.), who brought the Railsplitters to within one on an RBI single. Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) reached on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat and an error by the Eagle catcher on the play allowed the tying run to score.
 
The Railsplitters had a chance to take the lead in that frame, but, in what would become a common theme, Lincoln Memorial stranded the bases loaded to send the two teams into the ninth tied at 5-5.
 
Lincoln Memorial loaded the bases again in the bottom of the ninth following a single by Jonathan Lowe (Sidney, Ohio), an intentional walk to Augustine and a hit-by-pitch to Kalman. But a strikeout and a pop out sent the contest into extra innings.
 
The Eagles continued to go quietly, while the Railsplitters continued to let run-scoring opportunities slip away in the extra frames.
 
Lincoln Memorial loaded the bases for the third straight time in the bottom of the 10th and did it again in the 11th, but was unable to break through on either of those chances.
 
The Railsplitters wiggled out of a jam in the top of the 12th as Addington singled and Lynch doubled to put runners on second and third with two outs, but LMU reliever Nick Morabito (Vienna, Va.) struck out Bo Ausmus to keep the game scoreless.
 
An Augustine walk and a base knock by Kalman put the Railsplitters back in business with two outs in the bottom of the 12th, but a strikeout ended the threat.
 
It was Carson-Newman that finally put a mark in the scoring column in the visitor's half of the 13th, as Jurjevic doubled and scored on a single from Bryan Everhart. The Eagles had runners on first and second after taking over the lead, but a strikeout and a ground out kept LMU's deficit at 6-5.
 
The first two batters in the Railsplitters half of the inning went down quickly, leaving it up to Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.) to keep the game alive. And he delivered in dramatic fashion, absolutely pummeling a solo, game-tying home run over the wall in right field to knot the game at 6-6.
 
A whiff of good fortune perpetuated the inning after Neiderland's second home run in the Blue and Gray, as Scott Miller (Knoxville, Tenn.) struck out and reached on a passed ball. Lowe then handed the baton off the Floyd by drawing a walk, and Floyd took it home from there, lacing the first pitch he saw into the gap in right center to drive in the game-winning run.
 
Jean tossed eight innings, allowing five runs and four hits with a career-high nine strikeouts in the no decision. Morabito was awarded the victory after tossing five innings in relief. The Vienna, Va. native allowed seven hits and only one earned run with three strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the season.
 
Burlison went 3-for-6 at the plate to lead the Railsplitters, while Brito, Floyd, Miller and Neiderland each contributed two hits apiece.
 
The Railsplitters stranded 20 runners on base over the course of the game, leaving the bases loaded five different times.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 6, Carson-Newman 5
 
It was all Carson-Newman early in the afternoon's second game, as the Eagles piled up five runs through the first three innings.
 
A Jurjevic single plated Addington, who led off with a walk, in the top of the first, while Cody Fox pushed the C-N advantage to 2-0 with a leadoff home run in the top of the second. The Eagles rallied for two more runs with two outs in that inning, as Addington walked again and Lynch reached on an infield error. Cade Snapp singled in a run, while Jurjevic continued his monster day at the plate with a run-scoring double to left center field.
 
The Railsplitters went quietly in the bottom of the second, while J.D. Cowart made it a 5-0 game with an RBI single in the visitor's half of the third.
 
Kalman finally broke the Railsplitters' offensive drought and set the tone for the remainder of the contest with a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the Carson-Newman cushion to 5-1.
 
Rodriguez opened up the bottom of the fifth with his first career home run, and the Railsplitters continued to rally in that frame following Rodriguez's big fly. After a pop out and a strikeout, Lowe singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, where he scored on a single from Augustine.
 
Carson-Newman stranded what could have been a significant insurance run in the top of the sixth, as Cowart doubled and moved to third with one out thanks to a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Jake Mills (McCordsville, Ind.) shut the door, though, forcing Snapp to fly out and striking out Jurjevic to end the inning.
 
The eventual game-winning rally started for the Railsplitters with two outs in the sixth. Rodriguez bunted himself on and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A costly error by the Eagles' second baseman then proved critical, as Rodriguez scored on the misplayed ball and the winning run was brought to the plate.
 
Miller made the Eagles pay for that miscue, slamming his third career home run and his second in the past week to catapult the Railsplitters in front 6-5.
 
Carson-Newman made it interesting in the top of the seventh, as Everhart doubled to lead off the inning and moved 90 feet away from home on a ground out, but closer Ryan Burlison struck out Fox and induced a fly out from Brandon Roberts to end the game.
 
Freshman Chase Randolph (Harriman, Tenn.) was magnificent in relief of Grant Painter (Knoxville, Tenn.), tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out one and allowed only three hits without a walk over that span.
 
Mills earned the win with 2/3 of an inning pitched, while Burlison picked up his fourth save of the season.
 
Rodriguez was the lone Railsplitter with multiple hits, as he went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
Lincoln Memorial completed the twinbill with 23 hits and four home runs.
 
The Railsplitters head back to Jefferson City on Sunday to complete their three-game series against the Eagles. First pitch in game one is set for 1 p.m.