HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial baseball team's offense exploded for 20 runs in the last 9 innings of a Saturday doubleheader sweep of Tusculum at Lamar Hennon Field.
 
The host Railsplitters (19-19, 6-6 South Atlantic Conference) swept the 3-game series over the in-state rival Pioneers (19-13, 8-7 SAC) after a comeback 9-8 decision in Game 1 followed by a 12-7 win in the 7-inning nightcap.
 
Game 1: Lincoln Memorial 9, Tusculum 8
Trailing 3-1 entering the 7^th inning, Lincoln Memorial put up 5 runs in the 7^th and 3 in the 8^th to take the 9-8 edge. After Tusculum had crossed the plate 5 times in the top half of the 8^th inning to lead 8-6, the Railsplitters got an RBI double by Ryan Kurth, an RBI single by Cameron Powser and a go-ahead RBI fielder's choice by Carson Boles to regain the advantage.
 
The Lincoln Memorial offense got 2 hits each out of Cameron Bowen and Collin Goda, while Boles had 2 RBI on the day. David Brian Ellison (2-2) picked up the win throwing 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, and Tusculum's Trejen Fox-Birdwell was hit with the loss to fall to 1-1 on the year.
 
Game 2: Lincoln Memorial 12, Tusculum 7 (7 innings)
A big 6-run 4^th inning, highlighted by a Mitch Petzelt 2-run triple and a 2 RBI single by Gavin Whitehurst, put the hosts ahead 8-2 and they would cruise to the series sweep from there.
 
Boles, Petzelt, Whitehurst, Andrew Keene and Cameron Powser had 2 RBI each in the offensive outburst for the Railsplitters. Starting pitcher Eli Edds (3-2) took the win with 4.1 innings and 6 strikeouts, as Tusculum's Sam Bonilla (0-1) took the loss in relief.
 
Up Next
The Railsplitters play at North Georgia on Wednesday at 5 p.m.