NEWBERRY, S.C. -- Freshman Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) tossed a complete-game gem while Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) connected on his third home run of the season to help the Railsplitters (12-4, 5-1 SAC) sweep a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader from the 20th-ranked Newberry Wolves (14-7-1, 2-4 SAC) on Saturday in Newberry, S.C. Lincoln Memorial took game one 6-0 before completing the three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory in the series finale.
 
With the two wins, the Railsplitters pick up their first sweep over Newberry since 2010 and secured their best-ever start to South Atlantic Conference play since joining the league in 2007.
 
Lincoln Memorial now returns to Lamar Hennon Field for a seven-game homestand, beginning on Tuesday, March 8 with a nonconference game against Shorter at 2 p.m.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 6, Newberry 0
 
Elliott became the first pitcher this century to win his first four starts for Lincoln Memorial, twirling a complete-game shutout to improve to 4-0. The Knoxville, Tenn. native allowed just five hits and struck out five batters in his fourth career collegiate start.
 
The Railsplitters' offense provided more than enough run support for Elliott, racking up 13 hits while scoring twice in the seventh and three times in the eighth to seal the victory.
 
Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) went 4-for-5 at the dish with two RBI, a run scored and two doubles. HD Dillard (Woodstock, Ga.) and Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) added two hits and an RBI apiece, while Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) accounted for two hits with a double and a run scored.
 
The Railsplitters took the lead in the top of the second inning, as Kalman led off with a single and later scored on a two-out single from Danny Valdez (Orlando, Fla.).
 
That was all the offense either team could muster through the first six innings, as Elliott and Newberry starter Zack Kelly traded zeroes. But Kelly was replaced by reliever Robert Westenrieder in the top of the seventh and Lincoln Memorial greeted that new arm harshly.
 
Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) drew a lead-off walk and stole second before Augustine drove him in with a double down the first-base line. Augustine scored in the next at-bat thanks to a double by Kalman, which made it 3-0 in favor of the Railsplitters.
 
Lincoln Memorial poured it on in the top of the eighth frame, as Rodriguez doubled and stole both third and home to make it 4-0. Dillard singled in Valdez, who drew a walk earlier in the inning, to increase the lead to 5-0, while Kalman capped the inning with a two-out RBI single.
 
Elliott worked around lead-off walks in the eighth and ninth frames to dust off his complete-game shutout.
 
Trejon Smith was the only Newberry player with multiple hits in the game, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with a double. Kelly was credited with the loss despite allowing just six hits and one earned run over his six-inning start.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 6, Newberry 2
 
The Railsplitters scored three runs in the top of the second and never looked back to finish off the three-game sweep.
 
Lincoln Memorial produced 10 hits to extend its streak of consecutive games with double-digit hits to 13.
 
Valdez went 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI, while Ewers was 2-for-2 with two RBI, a home run and three runs scored. Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.) also accounted for a pair of hits with an RBI.
 
Matt Mullenbach (Urbandale, Iowa) made the start for the Railsplitters, but was credited with a no-decision after allowing four hits and a run through 2 1/3 innings of work. Timmy Wages (Moline, Iowa) picked up the win and improved to 2-0 on the season with 3 2/3 innings of relief work, a span during which he allowed two hits and a run. Chase Randolph (Harriman, Tenn.) made his second straight scoreless appearance, shutting the Wolves down in the seventh frame.
 
Neiderland kicked off the Railsplitters' three-run second inning with a single to right field, while Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) walked to put two runners on for Ewers, who put LMU on the board with a single back up the middle. Two batters later, Valdez made it 3-0 with a two-run single to left field.
 
The Railsplitters added another run in the top of the third, as Augustine led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly out from Neiderland.
 
Three straight singles loaded the bases for Newberry in the bottom of the third and forced head coach Jeff Sziksai to call Wages in from the bullpen. A fielder's choice allowed the Wolves to score their first run of the game, but Wages forced Derek Olenchuk to foul out to wiggle out of that jam.
 
Lincoln Memorial got that run right back in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from Valdez.
 
The Wolves cut the Railsplitters' lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout by JoJo Bradley, but Ewers hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth to erase that and put Lincoln Memorial ahead 6-2.
 
Wages worked around a lead-off single in the bottom of the sixth, while Randolph allowed only a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh before slamming the door shut on the Wolves.
 
Danton Hyman went 4-for-4 at the plate to account for more than half of Newberry's seven hits. Hunter Hill was saddled with the loss after giving up seven hits and six earned runs over 5 1/3 innings of work.