KODAK, Tenn. – Carson-Newman senior Lance Rorex had a career high five hits and scored the game-winning run on Phillip Duncan's walk-off walk in the ninth as the Eagles held off a number of Lincoln Memorial rallies to win a South Atlantic Conference thriller, 9-8, at Smokies Park on Friday night.,
The Eagles move to 21-20 overall and 11-11 in SAC play with the win, while LMU falls to 17-25 and 8-14.
In a game that featured 27 hits and 17 runs, no one was better than Rorex.
The Eagles third baseman was 5-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. His leadoff double in the ninth set the stage for Duncan to reach and pick up the game-winning RBI.
Rorex sliced a double down the right-field line to open the frame. A walk to shortstop Troy Zawadzki and a single by Mason Guymon loaded the bases for Duncan.
LMU tied the game in the top of the ninth when Nick Pressley lined a single into right field to knot the game at 8-8. The Railsplitters had four hits in the inning, but made outs at home plate and at third base trying to move the go-ahead run across.
LMU jumped to a 1-0 as Andre Rodriguez pounded a solo home run over the left field fence. The shot came off of Eagle starter Ryan Fillers, who held LMU to the lone run for five innings before the Railsplitters' offense found life.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 6-1 lead behind three runs in the fourth and fifth.
C-N's Kyle Koeneman, who didn't see a strike in four of his five at bats, walked to open the fourth. Rorex followed with an RBI single and Bo Ausmus added a double to left center as the Eagle bats came alive.
Zawadzki stroked a double to left center with two outs to push the score to 3-1. He would be thrown out on a close play an home to end the inning trying to score on a Guymon single.
C-N added three in the fifth as Rorex again delievered.
Rorex ripped a line drive into the gap in left center to drive in all three of the Eagles' runs in the sixth as C-N built a 6-1 lead. C-N loaded the bases on another Koeneman walk, a free pass to Lucas Mohon, and a single by Cody Fox.
The Railsplitters put together back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth to cut into the lead. Curt Fuqua's line drive down the left field line and a Rodriguez rope to left center cut the lead to 7-3.
LMU tied the game in the seventh, scoring four times to knot it at 7-7. Joeseph's Horsley's two-run double into the left centerfield gap and Rodriguez RBI single highlighted the five-hit frame.
The Eagles took an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the eighth as singled and scored on a Lance Reed RBI single. LMU intentionally walked Koeneman to pitch to Reed.
Rorex's five hits included a pair of doubles. Guymon added three singles for C-N.
Koeneman (WP, 3-1) was 0-of-1 but walked four times and scored twice. He also picked up the win in wild fashion, allowing three hits as LMU ran itself out of opportunities.
Reliever Andy Fennell took the loss for LMU.
Rodriguez was just as tough for C-N to retire as Rorex was for LMU. He went 4-for-5 with the game's only home run and three RBIs.
LMU centerfielder Cody Baker went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
The two teams play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
