LIVINGSTON, Ala. - After dropping a close 3-2 contest in the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday against the University of West Alabama, Lee came firing back to produce 11 runs in the final three innings of the second affair and earned a Gulf South Conference (GSC) split with the Tigers with a convincing 12-6 victory.
MJ Brown and Ben Holland drove in three runs apiece in the victory. Holland finished with two hits and two runs scored. Trent Hill finished with three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Andres Nelo collected three hits and scored two runs, while Luke Toms joined the hit parade with a pair of singles, two RBI and three runs scored. Josh Tate also knocked in a run with a single.
The Tigers got a single and a double from Daniel Boltz and Nick Delgado. Each collected a RBI. Eddie Keiffer knocked in three runs with a single and a double.
Hill started on the mound for the Flames. He worked 3 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, six hits, struck out seven and walked four. Ryan Zimmer worked an inning and fanned a pair. Ridge Ackerman came on to pick up the pitching win and Dakota Fowler hurled the final inning.
The Flames improved to 11-5-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the GSC. They will face West Alabama again on Sunday in the final game of the three game series. The contest is slated to get underway at 3 p.m.
GAME ONE: West Alabama 3, Lee 2Luigi Mendez drilled a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning and West Alabama fought off a Lee rally in the top of the eighth inning in posting a 3-2 victory in the first game of a Gulf South Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
Dustin Lawson was the starting and losing Lee hurler. He gave up four hits but walked six Tiger batters and struck out four. Rob Gustitus hurled the final 2 1/3 innings. He did not allow a hit, fanned one and walked one.
Jorge Cruz was the starting and winning pitcher for West Alabama. He worked 7 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, five hits, striking out five and issuing three walks. Tanner Rainey came on to pitch in the eighth and ninth innings and picked up the save.
A Flame rally in the eighth inning came up just short. Travis Perkola and Nelo singled and later scored on a two RBI hit by Hill. Perkola paced Lee's six-hit attack with a pair of singles. Toms and Cameron Scott also collected one-base hits in the loss.
