With Geremy Walton and Peyton Meeker leading the way, the Lee baseball team prepared for a key three-game Gulf South Conference series with a Wednesday afternoon victory over Young Harris College at Olympic Field.
 
Walton was a perfect 4-for-4 including his 11^th double of the season as the Flames jumped out to an 11-0 lead after the first four innings and the 11-3 victory over the Mountain Lions. Lee will travel to Memphis and face Christian Brothers University for the key GSC series on Friday and Saturday.
 
The Flames will face the Bucs in a single game on Friday at 2 p.m. (Eastern) and come back for a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
"It's now or never for our baseball team," commented coach Mark Brew after Wednesday's non-conference win. "We have our backs to the wall and will need a good series this weekend."
 
Lee opened quickly when Jordan Howard singled, followed by a bunt that went for a one-base hit by Walton. After Nate Wierzgac reached on an error, Drew Johnson stroked a single that plated two runs. Meeker delivered a one-base hit that pushed the final two runs of the initial inning across the plate.
 
Lee added a pair of runs in the second. Dalton Ney reached on an error. Jeffrey Chapuran walked and they were both plated on a booming double off the bat of Walton.
 
The Flames went right back to work in the third inning when Tyler Payne walked, followed by Meeker's double. Spencer Mossburg drew a free pass to load the bases and Ney picked up a pair of RBI with a solid single. Chapuran knocked in a run with a single and Walton blasted a double that pushed the final run of the inning across the dish.
 
A solo run in the fourth concluded the Lee scoring. Meeker walked and scored on a two-base hit by Mossburg. "We had a much better approach at the plate tonight," explained Brew after his club improved to 22-18 on the year. "We will need to continue that same approach this weekend against a Christian Brothers team which has really improved. We can't afford to go into the contest scoreboard watching. We just have to take the field and play our game."
 
Wes Albert (5-2) was the starting and winning pitcher in Wednesday's game. He worked five innings, allowed only two hits, struck out five and did not issue a free pass. Michael Ray followed for one inning, surrendering two hits and a pair of earned runs. John Reese Gilmer came on in the seventh and was perfect, striking out one hitter. Christian Bokich pitched the eighth and gave up one hit. He fanned one and walked a batter. Winston Whitener hurled the ninth, giving up three hits, one earned run and striking out a batter.
 
"I liked the effort of Albert this evening," noted Brew. "He only three 69 pitches in five innings and should be available for bullpen duty this weekend. All our pitchers did the job tonight."
 
The Mountain Lions got a double and a RBI from Jackson Jones. Rudy Gaona also knocked in a pair of runs with two hits. Young Harris used six pitchers in the loss. Daniel McKee (0-1) only went one inning but gave up four hits and five earned runs.