Harrogate, Tenn.----The Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters took game one of a three-game South Atlantic Conference baseball series Friday afternoon, prevailing 7-4. LMU improves to 14-5 overall and 6-1 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs fall to 14-8 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
Jean Rodriguez was three-for-four with a homer to lead the LMU offense.
Logan Augustine drove in a pair of runs for LMU, while
Russell Clark added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored.
Sophomore designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) had two homers, a double, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wingate offense. Sophomore infielder
Brett Branton (Athens, Ga.) added an RBI, while senior outfielder
Bill Krebs (West Chester, Pa.) scored a pair of runs for the Bulldogs.
Lincoln Memorial took the lead in the bottom of the third when Rodriguez led off the frame with a double, then scored on an RBI groundout from
Seth Hunt.
Wingate took the lead in the fourth when Brown connected on his third homer of the year, a two-run shot to make it 2-1.
Clark led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to make it 2-2. Augustine's two-run single later in the frame gave the Railsplitters a two-run lead.
The Bulldogs cut the lead to one in the sixth on Brown's second homer of the day, a solo shot to make it 4-3.
LMU plated two runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 6-3 advantage. The first run scored on a wild pitch, while an RBI single from Rodriguez pushed the lead to three.
Wingate got back within two in the eighth, loading the bases via two hits and a walk. Branton's sacrifice fly plated Krebs to make it 6-4. LMU added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame, scoring on a Wingate error to make the final margin 7-4.
Brandon Jean got the win, moving to 3-1. He allowed three runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out 11 and walking three. Senior left-hander
Jordan Newsome (Matthews, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 3-2. He allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.
The two teams are back in action Saturday, playing a doubleheader with game one starting at 1 p.m.