LIVINGSTON, Ala. - Coach Mark Brew says he saw some encouraging signs in Lee's 10-9 baseball loss at the University of West Alabama on Sunday afternoon. The Flames trailed 6-0 after four innings but fought their way back to actually go on top 9-7 in the top of the eighth inning.
The Tigers tied the game on a two-run homer by Parker Madden in the bottom of the eighth and then scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.
"I was really proud of how our team competed today and throughout most the weekend," praised Brew. "It was a back-and-forth game between two very good teams. Our offense is figuring some things out and that is very encouraging. However, we have to get our pitchers back to minimizing free bases. We still have lots of room for improvement and need to clean some areas up, but we are getting closer to being the team we are capable of becoming."
Luke Toms paced Lee's 12-hit attack. He had three singles, scored two runs and knocked in a pair. First baseman Ben Holland added two hits, two runs batted in and scored once. Poti had a pair of hits and also scored a pair.
Andres Nelo continued to be a run producer with two scores and a base hit. Trent Hill chipped in with a hit, RBI and a run, while MJ Brown and Nate Wierzgac contributed the Flames' other hits. Wierzgac also scored.
The Tigers also had 12 hits with Madden enjoying the big day with three hits including a homer, three RBI. Nick Delgado knocked in a pair of runs with three hits. Daniel Bolte and Luigi Mendez rounded out the West Georgia hitting attack with a pair of knocks.
All totaled, Lee used six hurlers in the loss. Chevis Hoover started and worked 1 1/3 innings. Grayson Bailey followed for 2 2/3 innings and coach Brew shifted Logan Campbell, Ridge Ackerman, Kyle Briner and Jacob Potts into action the rest of the way. Potts (1-2) was charged with the loss.
West Alabama used five hurlers. Fernando Gonzalez kept the Lee bats contained for four innings. Three other hurlers worked before Tanner Rainey came on to pitch the final two innings and pick up the pitching win.
The Flames dropped to 12-6-1 overall and 4-6-1 in Gulf South Conference play. West Alabama improved to 12-8, 6-5. Lee returns to Olympic Field on Tuesday and Wednesday for non-conference single games against the University of Indianapolis.
