HARROGATE, Tenn. – Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) and
Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) combined to go 7-for-10 as the Railsplitters (15-14, 6-3 SAC) cruised to a 12-1 victory Sunday over Saginaw Valley State (6-10).
Hunt stayed scorching hot with four more hits, while Ewers concluded a 7-for-11 weekend with his third home run in two games- a three-runs shot to left-center. He drove in four runs on the afternoon and eight over the three-game series take over the South Atlantic Conference lead with 35.
Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) held the Cardinals scoreless over seven innings to pick up his third win of the year. He struck out four, walked one and allowed six hits.
Chad Carson went 2-for-4 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
Lincoln Memorial took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on just one hit—a single by
Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa). Saginaw Valley State starter Brian Feinauer walked three, hit a batter and uncorked two wild pitches in his only inning of work. Ewers scored the first run on a passed ball, and came around on the second wild pitch.
Hunt and Augustine both doubled down the right field line in the second to increase the Railsplitter lead to 4-0.
Saginaw Valley State's best chance to score off Elliott came in the top of fourth, as the Cardinals recorded three straight singles. Collin Winters hit the first but was picked off a few pitches later. Elliott got Mason Schwellenbach to fly out to end the threat.
Lincoln Memorial added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Hunt led off the inning with a single, and Ewers tripled him in. Augustine then lifted a sac fly to score Ewers.
Ewers' home run in the fifth expanded the Railsplitters' lead to 10-0.
AJ Weed (Hendersonville, Tenn.) singled in the team's final two runs in the eighth.
Lincoln Memorial was one out away from recording its first shutout of the season, but the Cardinals were able to push across a run on a fielder's choice.
The Railsplitters return to SAC play next weekend when SAC-leading Catawba pays a visit to Lamar Hennon Field. Game one is slated for Friday at 4 p.m., and a doubleheader will start at 1 p.m. Saturday.
