ALBANY, Ga. – The Lee University baseball team opened its four-game road trip with a 15-0 run-rule shortened win Thursday afternoon at Albany State University.
"We took advantage of several walks and hit by pitches early and I was pleased with how the hitters competed at the plate," said Lee head coach Mark Brew. "We did a much better job of hitting in the middle to backside of the field and that has been an emphasis at practice recently."
The Flames (3-1) pounded out 18 hits with the Golden Rams registering three singles. Lee was also a beneficiary of five walks, two hit batters and two Albany State errors.
Cameron Scott and Jordan Howard led the Lee hit parade with three each. Scott doubled, drove in two runs and scored once. Howard also doubled, scored twice and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Peyton Meeker doubled and drilled a home run to plate four runs. Jeffrey Chapuran and Chase Andrews were the other two Lee batters with multiple hits. Chapuran delivered a two-run home run, while Andrews legged out a double.
Other Flames with multi-base hits were Spencer Mossburg (two-run home run) and Miguel Pimentel (double).
Lee scored two runs on passed balls in the first to open the scoring. The Flames added four more runs in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth and five in the fifth to supply the final margin.
Rob Gustitus earned the win after scattering two hits over four innings of work. Gustitus (1-0) struck out two batters. Michael Ray, Winston Whitener and John Reese Gilmer hurled one inning each. Ray fanned two of the three batters he faced, Whitener faced four batters, allowing one to reach on a walk. Gilmer surrendered a walk and a hit, while striking out one batter.
"Rob was in total command from the first batter. To throw only 35 pitches in four innings showed how aggressive he was in the strike zone," added Brew. "It was great to see Winston Whitener back on the mound after being out most of last year."
The Flames will play the final three games of the trip in Saint Leo, Fla., against Saint Leo University with a single nine-inning game at 6 p.m. on Friday and a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
"We will have a huge challenge the next two days," admitted Brew. "St. Leo has a quality team and we will have our hands full."
