After pounding out 16 hits and scoring 10 runs in the opening game of a Friday doubleheader against the University of North Alabama at Olympic Field, Lee watched the second contest slip away, leaving head coach Mark Brew and his Flames with a bad taste in their mouths heading into the final game of the three-game GSC series on Saturday.

NORTH ALABAMA 4, LEE 3

The Flames started the second game just like they finished the first and appeared on their way to sweeping the twin bill. Kyle Briner opened the contest with a double and scored when Luke Toms ripped a two-base hit. MJ Brown collected the third double of the inning and the Flames led 2-0.

Another big rally seemed to be developing in the third inning. Ben Holland kept the two-base hits going to open the frame. Luke Toms singled and Trent Hill laced a double that plated Holland. However, Toms was nailed when he tried to tag up on a fly ball by Brown to left field and with two men still on the sacks, the inning came to a close with only one run being scored.

"Put everything else aside that happened the rest of the way, that one inning really cost us dearly," said head coach Mark Brew. The inning seemed to suck a lot of the life out of the Flames and ignited the visiting Lions.

A solo home run by Kyle Hubbuch in the top of the fourth inning made it a 3-1 game, and Lee seemed to still be on their way to the victory. However, the fifth inning wiped away any hopes of an opening day sweep. Taylor Hayes reached on a single and Davis Elliott walked. Two crucial errors followed and three big runs went up on the board to give the Lions a 4-3 lead.

"Going into the fifth inning they only had one hit," remarked the disappointed Brew. "We made a couple of bad plays when they were putting down sacrifice bunts and that really cost us."

North Alabama relief pitching took over from that point forward. Devan Tragilia gave the Lions four innings of one-hit ball. He struck out three and walked three. Blake Talley came on to close the deal in the seventh after giving up hits to Hill and Ty Broady. Talley got Chris Adams to fly out and then recorded a strikeout to end the contest.

Justin Alleman started and pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Flames. He gave up only three hits and two earned runs, striking out six and walking three. Christian Bokich hurled the final 1 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, no runs, struck out three and walked one.

"Alleman and Bokich pitched well enough for us to win the game," pointed out Brew. "Two errors and the failure to score more runs with no outs in the third inning really cost us. Our goal is to win every series the remainder of the conference season. We had that opportunity today but now we've got to regroup and come back and get a win on Saturday."

  LEE 10, NORTH ALABAMA 2

Toms looped a three-run homer over the right-field fence and the Flames never looked back in posting the victory. Adams paced the 16-hit attack with a home run, two doubles and a single. He collected three RBI.

Broady followed with three one-base knocks. He scored a run and batted in one. Hill reached base four times, finishing with a RBI double and a single. He scored twice.

The hit parade continued with a triple, single and two scores by freshman Tyler Payne. All totaled Lee had seven extra-base hits. Holland doubled and his sac fly plated a run. He added two runs to the winning total. Briner came on in a pinch-hit role and tripled, while Geremy Walton and Shea Durham had Lee's other hits.

Art Vidrio started and was the winning hurler for the Flames. He pitched 5 2/3 innings to improve his record to 2-3. Tyler Burcham had two solid innings and Corbin Lamb came on to work the seventh.

The Lions got a double and single from Dylan Calhoun. Kyle Crabtree and Heath Wood had two hits apiece. Todd Gibson was the starting and losing pitcher for North Alabama. Austin Carpenter and Shawn Smirinoff also hurled in the loss.