HICKORY, N.C. – Lincoln Memorial (12-12, 6-3 SAC) won both ends of Saturday's doubleheader at Lenoir-Rhyne (14-9, 3-6 SAC) to sweep the weekend South Atlantic Conference series. The Railsplitters took the first game 17-10 behind Seth Hunt's (Knoxville, Tenn.) record-setting day at the plate and jumped ahead 6-0 early in the second game to coast to the 8-3 win.

Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) went 6-for-6 at the plate in game one to set a new LMU record for hits in a game. Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.), Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Tyler Adams (Woodstock, Ga.) added three more hits each as the Railsplitters uncorked 20 total. Adams also launched a three-run homer as part of a five-RBI afternoon, while Muta Crusoe (Bellwood, Ill.) also connected on a solo home run.

Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) and Ewers combined for five of Lincoln Memorial's nine hits in the second game, while Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) went the distance with a career-high seven innings and eight strikeouts.

The Railsplitters next return home to Lamar Hennon Field for nonconference matchups against Bloomsburg Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
 
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 17, Lenoir-Rhyne 10

The Railsplitter offense exploded for 17 runs on 20 hits behind Hunt's record-setting performance. He singled in each of his first five at-bats before contributing an RBI double in the eighth. He also scored four runs and stole a base.

Every Lincoln Memorial batter reached base safely at least once. Timmy Wages (Molin, Ill.) was the only Railsplitter to not contribute to the hit parade or drive in a run, as he went 0-for-5 for the second straight game. However, he walked and scored a run, which left Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) as the only Railsplitter not to cross home.

Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) did not make it through the fifth inning for the first time in 18 career starts. He allowed eight runs (six earned) in four-plus innings and did not receive a decision. The Bears knocked Elliott around for six hits, including four extra-base hits, and he also issued two free passes.

Chase Randolph (Harriman, Tenn.) came on in relief and allowed just two runs (one earned) over the game's final five innings to pick up his first win of the season. He allowed both runs in Lenoir-Rhyne's five-run fifth before shutting down the Bears' offense over the next four innings.

Marcus Shoemaker, Justin Dean and Alex Reynolds, each ranked in the top 10 in the SAC in batting average, combined to go 7-for-14, but the rest of the team went just 3-for-25. David Newcomer's three-run double was one of those hits, and he finished the game with four RBI.

Eric Kalman's two-run single put the Railsplitters up 2-0 in the top of the first. Crusoe added another run with a solo homer to lead off the top of the second.

Newcomer's bases-clearing double tied the game at three in the bottom of the fourth. The Bears added two more runs in the inning on a Hunt fielding error and Fred Wadsworth double.

Lincoln Memorial stormed back with eight more runs in the top of the fifth. Adams' three-run homer put the team back on top 6-5 to kickstart the rally. AJ Weed (Hendersonville, Tenn.), Hunt and Augustine then added RBI knocks. Clark's two-run single finished off the barrage.

The Bears scored five more runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit back to 11-10. The first three Lenoir-Rhyne batters reached off Elliott, capped by Shoemaker's RBI double, which knocked him out of the game. Randolph allowed both inherited runners to score and coughed up an earned run of his own on a wild pitch. Randolph then committed a fielding error to extend the inning, which allowed another run to eventually come around to score on a fielder's choice.

Ewers tripled home an insurance run in the sixth before the Railsplitters added five more runs in the seventh to break the game wide open. Adams grounded out to bring in the first run, and Kalman followed by scoring on a wild pitch. Hunt then doubled in another run, and Ewers drove home the final two with another single.
 
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 3

One day after working a scoreless ninth to pick up the save, Morabito pitched seven more innings to pick up his first career win as a starter and third of the season. The redshirt junior allowed three runs (two earned) over seven innings with eight strikeouts. He allowed seven hits and walked two.

The Railsplitters staked Morabito to an early lead as Hunt reached on an error and came around to score on Clark's double. Lincoln Memorial added five more runs in the second behind three more Bear errors. Kalman led off with a walk, and Hunt reached on Wadsworth's throwing error. Kalman then came around to score on a throwing error by Bears starting pitcher Hunter Martin on a failed pickoff attempt. Ewers later singled to drive in the team's third run, followed by an Augustine two-run single. Kalman's infield hit extended the Railsplitter lead to 6-0.

Hunter Martin lasted only 1.2 innings and was tagged with his first loss of the year. He allowed six runs, although none of them were earned.

Lenoir-Rhyne got a run back in the second and third innings on a Wadsworth RBI double and Reynolds sac fly.

Each team pushed across a run in the sixth. Wages hit a sac fly to drive in Lincoln Memorial's, while Shoemaker blasted a solo home run. Shoemaker, the SAC batting average and hits leader, finished 2-for-4 to conclude a 6-for-14 series.

Ewers singled home Hunt in the seventh to increase Lincoln Memorial's lead to 8-3.

Hunt followed up his 6-for-6 performance with a 1-for-4 outing to finish the series 10-for-15.