HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Senior outfielder Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.) collected nine RBI to help power the Railsplitters (6-2) to a doubleheader sweep of the Tiffin Dragons (1-4) in NCAA Division II baseball action on Friday at Lamar Hennon Field. Lincoln Memorial built a commanding early lead but had to hold on for dear life in a 9-8 win in the early game before overpowering the Dragons 15-2 in the late game.
 
The Railsplitters and Dragons will complete their three-game nonconference series with a single nine-inning game on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. in Harrogate.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 9, Tiffin 8
 
Lincoln Memorial's Neiderland and Tiffin's Nick Hueneburg put on a show for the fans in attendance in game one, combining for four home runs and 15 RBI. Neiderland went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and eight RBI for the Railsplitters, while Hueneburg blasted three titanic home runs and drove in seven runs for the Dragons.
 
Neiderland becomes just the fourth player in program history and the second this season to record eight RBI in a single game, joining his teammate Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) as well as Chris Telinda (2008) and single-game record holder Derek Treece (2008) as the only LMU players to accomplish that feat.
 
In addition to Neiderland's outburst, Kalman was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) went 2-for-5 with a run.
 
Junior right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) picked up the win for the Railsplitters to improve to 1-1 on the season, allowing four hits and four runs with five strikeouts over six solid innings. Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) collected the save after striking out five and surrendering just a single hit in 2 1/3 innings of relief, though he put himself into some trouble with three hit-by-pitches and two walks.
 
The Dragons grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Hueneburg hit his first home run of the game over the wall in left field, but the Railsplitters answered back by scoring three runs in the home half of that inning and four in the second frame. Neiderland had a hand in six of those seven runs with a two-run single that he roped off of the right-field wall in the first inning and a grand slam in the second.
 
Tiffin got a run back in the top of the third inning, as Hueneburg drove a solo home run off of the scoreboard in right center field. However, the Railsplitters erased that run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by Neiderland, which made it an 8-3 Lincoln Memorial lead. The Dragons scored again in the top of the fifth on a single by Isaac Perry, but another run-scoring double by Neiderland increased the Railsplitters' lead to 9-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
LMU reliever Cody Hinson (Taylor Ridge, Ill.) was called on in the top of the seventh inning and quickly set the first two batters of that inning down. However, back-to-back walks put two runners on for Hueneburg, who connected on a three-run home run that cleared the wall in center field and trimmed the Railsplitters' lead to 9-7.
 
After a double in the next at-bat, Morabito was called in from the bullpen. He was shaky initially, hitting Ryan Thomas and walking Garrett Vernau to load the bases. But he settled down and struck out Ryan Davis to stop the bleeding.
 
Tiffin threatened to tie the game again in the top of the eighth inning, as two hit-by-pitches sandwiched around a single loaded the bases with no outs. The Dragons would add a run on a sacrifice fly out, but that was wedged between two strikeouts that kept the Railsplitters ahead 9-8.
 
Morabito worked around a two-out walk in the top of the ninth to preserve the victory.
 
Tyler Nichols suffered the loss for the Dragons after allowing seven hits and seven earned runs over 1 2/3 innings of work.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 15, Tiffin 2
 
The Railsplitters started slow, but scored multiple runs in their final four plates appearances and took advantage of five Tiffin errors to score double-digit runs for the fourth time in the past five games.
 
Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) went 2-for-3 with three RBI, three runs scored and a home run. Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) recorded a pair of hits with an RBI and two runs scored, while Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) hit a grand slam to lead all players with four RBI.
 
Freshman left-hander Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) tossed a complete game, struck out nine batters and allowed just six hits to improve to 2-0 on the season.
 
Lincoln Memorial mustered a first-inning run without recording a hit, as Hunt drew a lead-off walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and stole home thanks to some first-and-third trickery.
 
After stranding a pair of runners on base in the home half of the second, the Dragons drew the game even in the top of the third on an RBI single from Perry.
 
However, the Railsplitters broke the game wide open in the bottom of the third with a five-run outburst powered by Ewers' two-out grand slam, his first home run of the season. Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) also earned an RBI in the inning with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.
 
The Railsplitters scored two runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth to pull ahead 12-1. The Dragons tallied their final run of the game in the sixth frame when Hueneburg went deep for the fourth time in the doubleheader, hitting a solo shot to straightaway center field.
 
Lincoln Memorial tacked on three more runs in the home half of the sixth on Rodriguez's three-run home run, his first of the season.
 
Kurt Barbeau led the Dragons offensively with a pair of hits. Patrick Bellinger took the loss after giving up six earned runs and five hits over 2 2/3 innings.