JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Despite outhitting Carson-Newman University in a South Atlantic Conference road doubleheader Saturday afternoon, the Lincoln Memorial University baseball team fell victim to a pair of one-run affairs. The Railsplitters (11-20, 8-16 SAC) lined eight hits in game three of the four-game weekend set and tallied 10 hits in the series finale but were edged 3-2 and 4-3 by the host Eagles (19-9, 14-6 SAC) at Silver Diamond in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
 
Redshirt junior first baseman Brandon Parrott once again had an outstanding day at the plate, going 5-for-7 across the two outings as redshirt freshman second baseman Cameron Bowen launched his first career homer in Saturday's opening game. Graduate right fielder Brent Richey's two-run dinger in the ninth inning of game two proved to be not enough after Carson-Newman walked off game one of the doubleheader with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The Eagles made timely hits throughout the two games and for the second consecutive day LMU, who entered the weekend as one of the top base running teams in all of NCAA Division II baseball, was held without a stolen bag.
 
Game 1 | Carson-Newman 3, LMU 2
The Railsplitters held the lead for the majority of the seven-inning contest and got solid pitching from redshirt junior right-hander Bryce Woody. Holding a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, LMU was unable to stop Carson-Newman from scoring twice in the frame before the Eagles walked it off in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Carson-Newman needed just five hits to score its three runs.
 
After claiming a pair of hits in the top of the second, the Railsplitters took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third with a two-out RBI double to left field by redshirt sophomore left fielder Andrew Keene after Richey stretched a single to center field.
 
With Woody tossing four innings of two-hit ball, LMU tacked on a second run in the top of the fifth. Bowen stepped to the plate with one out in the inning and launched his first career home run over the left field wall to give the Railsplitters a 2-0 lead. However, the Eagles responded in the bottom of the fifth with two runs. Catcher Brendan Krob reached home plate after a leadoff walk, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Moments later, left fielder Tyler Thompson connected on a two-out RBI single to right center field to knot the score.
 
LMU had a great opportunity to retake the lead in the top of the sixth when Parrott hit a single to center field and redshirt freshman catcher Sam Mast doubled to left center field with only one out. Unable to drive anyone in, the Railsplitters once again had a runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh with a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt. After strikeouts ended the top halves of both frames, Carson-Newman led off the bottom of the seventh with a single before a sacrifice bunt set up the Eagles' walk-off hit. Shortstop Micah Genter drove in second baseman Andrew Carpenter with a single through the right side for the win.
 
Richey finished the game 2-for-4 at the dish and Parrott was 2-for-3. Carpenter scored twice for Carson-Newman and Genter went 2-for-3 at the plate.
 
Woody struck out five in six innings and redshirt junior right-handed hurler Ryan Franklin (3-1) received his first loss of 2021 in 1/3 innings of relief and just three batters faced.
 
Right-handed starter Matt Bradley went six and 1/3 innings for the Eagles, striking out seven before right hander Jake Wright (3-1) claimed the win with a strikeout and zero hits given up in 2/3 innings of relief work.
 
Game 2 | Carson-Newman 4, LMU 3
LMU nearly pulled off a comeback after finding itself down 4-1 heading into the final inning. Carson-Newman scored twice in the first inning, took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth and went up 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth. A run scored on an Eagle throwing error in the top of the fourth remained the Railsplitters' lone run until Richey's two-run bomb in the ninth.
 
Carson-Newman first baseman Kilian Daughtry notched an RBI single following LMU's only error of the game in the bottom of the opening inning. With base runners on second and third and only one out, the Eagles got their second run of the contest on a Gunnar Ricketts RBI groundout.
 
Despite lining a trio of hits between the second and third innings, the Railsplitters didn't reach home plate until the fourth when LMU powered three hits and benefited from two Carson-Newman errors. Graduate third baseman Tyler Adams led things off with a double to left center field and Keene reached on an Eagle error. Moments later, a failed pickoff attempt and another Carson-Newman error allowed Adams to score from third base. The Railsplitters would get singles from Parrott and redshirt sophomore center fielder Zach Fritts, in addition to Keene attempting to swipe home, but were unable to add a second run.
 
In the bottom fourth frame, the Eagles scored their third run of the game without posting a hit. Following two walks, a passed ball and a wild pitch, Carson-Newman's Thompson flied out to left field for a sacrifice. The Eagles' fourth and final score of the afternoon came on a one-out RBI single up the middle from third baseman Zach Boze in the bottom of the fifth.
 
LMU left five stranded on the base paths between the sixth and seventh innings with a hit in each frame as the arms of right-handers Mason Turner and Eli Wright kept Carson-Newman hitless in the final three innings. Held without a hit in the eighth, the Railsplitters got a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth. Richey then rocketed his team-leading fifth homer of the season over the left field wall to make it a one-run outing at 4-3 with no outs. A flyout and a strikeout still left the door slightly ajar after Keene was walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Mast was then walked with Keene taking third base on the ball four wild pitch. However, a cleanly fielded fielder's choice play ended the day.
 
Parrott went 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk, while the Eagles' Thompson finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
 
Redshirt junior right-hander Beau Nichols (1-3) took the loss on the hill after striking out three in four and 1/3 innings. Redshirt junior Turner tossed two and 2/3 innings in relief with two strikeouts and only one hit allowed. Redshirt sophomore Wright threw a full inning without giving up a hit and punching out one.
 
Six different Carson-Newman pitchers saw action on the rubber with righty starter Mason Mooney going three innings and striking out three. Right-hander Jackson Harbin (1-1) earned the win in one and 1/3 innings of one-hit relief work and right-handed reliever Tyler Shaver fanned a game-best four in one and 1/3 innings. Left-hander Kyle Cagle picked up his first save of the spring after striking out one and not allowing a hit in 2/3 innings.
 
Up Next…
LMU doesn't have any midweeks scheduled and will return to game action next Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11 against Newberry College at the Smith Road Complex in Newberry, South Carolina. Both doubleheaders between the Railsplitters and the Wolves are slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
 
How to Follow
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Railsplitter baseball throughout the 2021 season, including any schedule changes.