CLEVELAND, Tenn. –Nate Stinson and
Chris Salvey combined for five RBI while a trio of Lincoln Memorial pitchers allowed just five hits total to lead the Railsplitters to a 5-3 win over the Lee University Flames on Tuesday afternoon at Olympic Field in Cleveland, Tenn.
Salvey went 3-for-4 at the plate, finishing a triple short of the cycle with two RBI, a double and a homer, while Stinson made the most of his one hit, driving in three runs with a single to put Lincoln Memorial (10-6) in the lead for good, sending the Railsplitters to their fourth consecutive win.
A quality start for
Ben Wiley made that offensive output stand up, as the senior right-hander moved to 1-1 on the season after allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out four over 6.0 innings of work.
Patrick Queener and
Devin Morris pitched the final three innings. Queener went two frames, giving up one run and one hit over that span, while Morris relinquished only one hit in the ninth to pick up the save.
Will Reddick added a pair of singles, while
Seth Hunt scored twice and singled.
Alex Allen notched the only other hit of the game for the Railsplitters.
Lee's leadoff hitter Thomas Zazzaro accounted for more than half of the Flames' five hits with three singles. Miguel Pimentel notched the only extra-base hit of the game for Lee with a double.
The Railsplitters took the lead in the top of the first inning, when Hunt led off with a single and scored three batters later on a two-out double by Salvey.
Lincoln Memorial threatened to add to its lead in both the second and third innings, but left two runners stranded on base in each frame to keep the score at 1-0.
The Flames then took advantage of a couple of defensive miscues to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Dalton Ney was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, while Cody Smith reached in the next at-bat via an infield error. Zazzaro then drove home Ney with a single to right field, while Smith scored on a muffed throw by catcher
Henry Moore, giving Lee a 2-1 advantage.
The Railsplitters trailed ever so briefly, though, as they answered in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs with two outs.
Marco Rios and Hunt were hit by pitches, while Allen walked to load the bases for Stinson, who drove home all three with a single to center field.
That was the extent of the offense until Salvey led off the seventh inning with his fourth home run of the season. Lee scored a run in the bottom of that inning via an RBI fielder's choice from Fernando Ortiz, but that was all the Flames would muster the rest of the way.
Queener worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, while Morris worked around a two-out single and walk in the bottom of the ninth to tidy up the victory.
Quick Hits
- The Railsplitters left 10 runners stranded on base.
- Michael Hendricks was saddled with the loss for Lee after allowing four hits and four runs with five strikeouts and three walks in 3.2 innings. Four different pitchers made an appearance for the Flames.
Up Next
The Railsplitters return to Lamar Hennon Field for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series against Catawba. Game one is set for a 4 p.m. first pitch on Friday.
