CLINTON, Miss. – The Lee softball team suffered an 8-4 loss to drop the series to Mississippi College on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Flames jumped ahead in the fourth inning to overcome three-run deficit with four runs but could not keep the Choctaws off the board as the home team immediately answered with a two-run bottom of the fourth and added some insurance with a three-run fifth to claim the GSC series victory.
Leigh Beatenbough (5-4) was hit with the loss in the circle for the Lady Flames. A day after pitching a superb six-plus innings allowing just one run, the senior gave up eight runs but because of three Lee miscues only three were earned. She walked three and struck out three.
Taylor Moran got the offense going with a solo home run in to open the fourth inning rally. Beatenbough then followed with a RBI double down the left field line to score Brooklynn Frazier before Bailey Church ended the rally with a two-run home run down the left line.
Cooper started and was chased after giving up all four runs in the fourth. Penny Nichols (3-4) earned the victory as she came on in relief for Mississippi College and allowed just two hits while striking out three in four innings of relief.
All three runs the Choctaws scored in the second were unearned due to a pair of errors. Murphy drove in two more unearned runs with a single up the middle in the fourth. Nieto put the game out of reach with a three-run long ball in the bottom of the fifth.
Lee falls to 12-13 on the year and 5-7 in GSC play. The Lady Flames have hit a rough patch in the schedule dropping 6 of their last 7 over the last week.
Up next the Lady Flames will look to get back on track as they welcome King University to town for mid-week doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 3 p.m. at Butler Field.
