HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Junior right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) dazzled over 6 1/3 innings and Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) connected on his second home run of the season as the Railsplitters (14-5, 6-1 SAC) captured their fourth consecutive South Atlantic Conference victory with a 7-4 win over the Wingate Bulldogs (14-8, 1-3 SAC) on Friday evening at Lamar Hennon Field.
 
Lincoln Memorial racked up 10 hits and used pair of solid pitching performances to extend the program's best-ever SAC start to 6-1.
 
Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) led the way for the Railsplitters by going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Clark went 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored. Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.) also added two hits with a pair of runs scored, while Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) drove in two runs with his only hit of the game, a go-ahead two-run single. HD Dillard (Woodstock, Ga.) reached base three times with a hit and two walks to go along with a stolen base.
 
Jean matched his career-high mark by striking out 11 Bulldogs over his 6 1/3 innings of work, improving to 3-1 on the season after allowing just five hits and two earned runs. Jean last struck out 11 batters against Tusculum in the opening round of last season's SAC Championship. He eventually gave way to Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.), who picked up his second save with 2 2/3 innings of relief work that included four strikeouts and two hits allowed. All told, Jean and Morabito combined for 15 strikeouts.
 
Jean and Wingate starter Jordan Newsome breezed through the first two frames, but Rodriguez kick-started a run-scoring rally for the Railsplitters in the bottom of the third, leading off with a double before advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt. He scored two batters later on an RBI groundout by Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.).
 
The Bulldogs answered right back in the top half of the fourth inning, though, as Bradley Brown slashed a two-run home run to put the visiting team ahead 2-1.
 
That's where the score stood until the Railsplitters scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good. Clark drew the game even at 2-2 with a solo shot, while Rodriguez and Danny Valdez (Orlando, Fla.) notched back-to-back singles to keep the inning going. With two outs in the inning, Augustine singled back up the middle to bring both Rodriguez and Valdez in and give the Railsplitters a 4-2 cushion.
 
Bradley hit another home run in the top of the sixth to close the gap to 4-3, but Lincoln Memorial gave itself some breathing room in the bottom of that inning, as Neiderland singled and scored on a wild pitch, while Clark singled and came across on a RBI base knock from Rodriguez.
 
The Bulldogs loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the seventh, but Morabito was called in from the bullpen and wiggled out of that jam by forcing Zach Little to line into a double play to keep Lincoln Memorial in front 6-3.
 
Wingate loaded the bases again in the top of the eighth and pulled to within two at 6-4 on a sacrifice fly out from Brett Branton, but the Railsplitters erased that run in the home half of the inning thanks to a Wingate throwing error.
 
A walk and a hit-by-pitch allowed Wingate to bring the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Morabito struck out both Bill Krebs and Colby Barnette to complete the save and send the Railsplitters away with a 7-4 victory.
 
Brown had a big day for the Bulldogs, accounting for three of the team's seven hits by going 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a double.
 
The Railsplitters and Bulldogs complete their three-game SAC series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Lamar Hennon Field beginning at 1 p.m.