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ROME, Ga. – Shorter completed a three-game sweep of the Lee softball team on Sunday afternoon, topping the Lady Flames, 8-3 from Alto Park.

Kameron Carter got the Hawks on the board early, a recipe they used in winning both games yesterday, with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first off of Lee starter Leigh Beatenbough.

Beatenbough (3-7) went 5 1/3 innings and gave up eight runs (seven earned). The sophomore allowed nine hits and struck out two.

The Lady Flames would answer in the second inning as Lexie Dean singled to right to score Annabeth Pruett and cut the lead to 2-1. Dean leads the team with a .465 average and 34 RBI.

From there Hawks' starter Payton Lippert (9-6) settled in. Lippert allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings of work. She walked three and had a pair of punch outs.

Rachel Polacek provided the lone extra base hit for Lee with an RBI triple in the sixth inning. Polacek would also score on the play after an error on the second baseman to cut the lead to just 4-3.

The Hawks fired right back however and put the contest out of reach with a four-run bottom of the sixth. Taylor Ann Oda started the rally with a one-out double followed by a Taylor Martin single. Savannah Thomas was then called on to pinch hit and she delivered, singling home Oda and Martin to make it 6-3. Maddie Hunt continued the rally with an RBI single to left prompting coach Emily Russell to call on Angie Hughes in relief. Hughes struck out the first batter she faced but Tiffany Holland would single to left to cap off the rally. 

Kaeli Kimbrell closed the door in the seventh for Shorter retiring the Lady Flames in order.

The eight-game gauntlet of a road trip concludes next weekend for Lee as they travel to No. 17 Valdosta State on Friday and Saturday. The two clubs will play a doubleheader on Friday followed by a single game on Saturday.