HARROGATE, Tenn. – Muta Crusoe (Bellwood, Ill.) went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and RBI and both
Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and
Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) belted three-run home runs to lead Lincoln Memorial's 10-6 comeback win Friday over Newberry (28-16, 13-6 SAC) at Lamar Hennon Field. The Railsplitters (25-16, 14-5 SAC) trailed 5-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth before the offense exploded for three runs in the inning and seven more in the eighth.
The Railsplitters extended their win streak to six with the victory. Lincoln Memorial has won 11 of its past 13 games overall and in SAC play. The Railsplitters remain in a tie for first place with Catawba after the Indians topped Tusculum on Friday evening.
Lincoln Memorial sprayed 14 hits to reach the double digit mark for the fifth consecutive game and eighth time in its past nine. Eleven of those hits occurred in the sixth inning or later. Crusoe's three hits led the team, while
Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.),
Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa),
Russell Clark (Wexford, Pa.) and Kalman recorded two apiece.
Derek Olenchuk's 3-for-3 effort led Newberry's offense, while Cody Ezzell went 2-for-for with three RBI. Trejon Smith walked twice and reached base three times.
The Wolves jumped ahead 2-0 in the first off Railsplitter starter
Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.). Daymon Totherow laced a double to left center to score Robert Kosch and Danton Hyman, who began the game with back-to-back singles.
That score held until the sixth when Newberry scored three more times. Five straight Wolves reached with two outs to lead to the runs and knock Jean from the game. Tommy Passerello singled in the first run, and Ezzell's bases-loaded single two batters later brought in the next two.
Newberry starting pitcher Zack Kelly held Lincoln Memorial to three hits over his first five innings but allowed four in the bottom of the sixth. Augustine and Clark began the inning with singles, and Kalman's homer to left center pulled the Railsplitters to 5-3.
The Wolves added a run in the top of the eighth on an Ezzell double.
The first five Railsplitters to bat in the bottom half of the inning all reached as the team tied the score at six apiece. Clark singled and Wages walked before Kelly was pulled in favor of Dylan Southerland. Kalman then singled to load the bases, and Crusoe doubled down the left field line to score Clark and Wages.
Tyler Adams (Woodstock, Ga.) followed with another single to score the tying run.
Newberry then brought in closer Charlie Fessler to try and stop the bleeding, but
Nate Stinson (Jonesboro, Ga.) lifted a ball to right that resulted in a sac fly to give the Railsplitters the lead. Fessler then hit Hunt with a pitch to put runners on first and second. Ewers followed with his three-run shot to give Lincoln Memorial some breathing room at 10-6.
Every Railsplitter batter reached base in the inning except for Stinson, who hit a sac fly.
Dominic Morabito (Vienna, Va.) pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory.
The Railsplitters play their final games Saturday at Lamar Hennon Field. First pitch in game one is set for 1 p.m.
