VALDOSTA, Ga. – Battling rain the entire weekend, Lee watched a 6-3 lead slip away in the bottom of the sixth inning and dropped the first game of a scheduled Saturday doubleheader to host Valdosta State University, 7-6.
Friday's opening game of the three-game Gulf South Conference baseball series was washed out. The heavy rains came again after the first game on Saturday and forced the second contest to be cancelled.
The Flames will return to Cleveland with a 16-13 overall mark and 7-9 in GSC play. Valdosta State improves to 18-11, 10-6. Lee will travel to Young-Harris, Ga. on Tuesday for a single nine-inning game. The opening pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
The host Blazers owned a 3-0 lead before the Flames put four runs on the board in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 advantage. Lee increased the margin to 6-3 in the top of the sixth before the Blazers grabbed the upper hand for good in the bottom of the inning.
The Flames got good production from the top of the batting order. Kyle Briner and Ben Holland each had a single and a double, scored four of Lee's six runs and both picked up a RBI.
Trent Hill added a single and RBI, while Chris Adams drove home two runs with a one-base hit. Nate Wierzgac picked up a hit and scored a run, while Brayden Ware tallied Lee's other score.
Valdosta State's Dalton Duty had the game's key blow. He ripped a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to put the Blazers on top for good. Chipper Andezel had a double and two singles. He scored a pair of runs. Tyler York stroked a double and a single in driving home one run. Jaykob Graham rounded out the Blazer attack with a single and a run scored.
Art Vidrio opened on the mound for the Flames and pitched the first four innings. He allowed five hits, two earned runs, striking out five, while not walking a hitter. Christian Bokich came on for the next 1 2/3 innings. He surrendered three hits, two earned runs.
Briner (3-1) was charged with his first loss of the year. In 1 1/3 innings, he gave up two hits, two earned runs and struck out a pair. Tyler Burcham pitched the final inning for the Flames. The lefty walked two and struck out one.
Valdosta State used four hurlers. Michael Cody got the start and worked the first 4 1/3 innings. However, it was Kellan Bailey (5-3) who came on for 1 2/3 innings to pick up the pitching decision. Dustin Hersey came on in the top of the ninth to pick up the save. The Flames had runners at second and third but could not score after Hersey walked a pair.
"It's disappointing not to be able to get the entire series in, but we had our chances to win game one," said Lee coach Mark Brew. "We also had an early in game two before the rain came again and caused the cancellation.
"We are still having too many non-productive outs offensively via strikeouts. We have given ourselves little room for error moving forward in the conference, but we are very capable as a team of continuing to improve and climb in the standings."
