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In a tale of two contests, the Lee softball team opened the 2016 season with a doubleheader split against Bellarmine University from a sun-splashed Butler Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
In game one the Lady Flames were shutout, 8-0 by the Knights in five innings and managed just one base hit. The nightcap was a different story as Lee scored early and often en route to an 11-3 run-rule victory which saw Bellarmine collect just three base hits.
 
The Lady Flames will now head on the road to take on Montevallo on Thursday before participating in the Gulf Shores Invitational next weekend. Lee will play five games in three days down in Alabama.
 
Game 2 – LEE 11, BU 3
 
Senior NiaRaye Ceasar got the hit parade jump stared as she launched a two-run homer to straight away center in the first inning to give Lee the early 2-0 advantage in game two.
 
The Lady Flames would jump ahead of Bellarmine by two more runs in the second as fellow senior Lexie Dean drilled a double to left center for two of her five RBI.
 
"We have four new players, three freshman and two of them are in new positions," said head coach Emily Russell. "They are all really fantastic players but I think we had some first game jitters and a little nerves in game, even from upper classmen. I was really pleased with how we bounced back and hit the ball well in game two. We definitely got good production from our seniors Nia and Lexie."
 
Sophomore Leigh Beteanbough (1-0 started in the circle and got the win for the Lady Flames. Beatenbough worked all five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on just three hits. She struck out four and walked one.
 
The Knights countered with Marlee Tevis in game two. Tevis (0-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits to go along with a pair of walks. Game one starter and former NCAA D2 All-American Ally Foster pitched the final 3 1/3 innings of relief. Foster allowed eight hits and seven runs but was only charged with two earned runs. She struck out two and walked a batter.
 
"One of the things that I was really happy to see was the way we continued to swing the bat well even after Bellarmine went back to Foster. She is a great pitcher but our hitters trusted the process and stuck with it the second time around," added Russell.
 
The Lady Flames finished with 13 hits in the contest led by three this each from Dean and freshman third baseman Stevie Baired.  Leadoff hitter Amanda Lynn added a pair of hits and had a stolen base. Lynn is the all-time leader in stolen bases in school history and swiped 32 bags a year ago.
 
Freshman Hallie Davis, a product of Walker Valley High School, ended the contest with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Foster had two hits including a solo home run for the Knights. Rachel Fox tallied a two-run double to account for the only other hit.
 
Game 1 – LEE 0, BU 8

Bellarmine's ace Foster dazzled for five innings in the circle to lead the Knights over the Lady Flames, 8-0 in game one on Saturday afternoon.
 
Foster (2-0) tossed all five innings and allowed just one hit while striking out six to lead the Kentucky club to victory.
 
Angie Hughes started and worked 2 2/3 innings for the Lady Flames. The senior gave up all eight runs but only three were earned. The Knights benefited from four Lee errors in the contest. Hailey Clark returned to the circle after sitting out all last season with an injury and pitched the final 2 1/3. Clark allowed six hits but kept Bellarmine off the scoreboard.
 
Freshman Macy Stovall provided the lone hit for Lee with a single in the second frame.
 
Bellarmine jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning but things could have been much worse as Hughes worked out of bases loaded jam with nobody out to keep Lee in the game early.
 
The Knights responded with a six-run third inning to put the contest away. After two quick outs Tabby Shewmaker walked and Erica Knollman followed with a double to put runners on second and third.  Katie Stamper followed with a run-scoring single and Melissa Hammer followed suite to make it 4-0.  Three more runs would score on back to back Lee errors before Tevis ended the rally with an RBI single.
 
Tevis finished with three hits for Bellarmine while Rachel Fox, Kelly Ely, Knollman and Stamper had two hits apiece.