The North Alabama Lions (11-5, 4-1) outlasted the Lee baseball team (6-11, 2-3), 5-4 in 16 innings during game two of Saturday's doubleheader to complete the sweep of the Flames from Olympic Field.
The 16-inning marathon was the longest game in Lee baseball history. The previous mark was a 15-inning game at Point Loma in 2006.
The two teams will grab just a few hours of sleep before getting back on the dirt for the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
GAME TWO – LEE 4 UNA 5 (16 innings)
Logan Carter hit a two-run double in the top of the 16
th and Kaleb Barnes came on to finally shut the door in the bottom the frame to lift the Lions past the Flames, 5-4.
With the bases loaded and one out the Flames appeared poised to rally back to take the lead but Peyton Meeker was thrown out at the plate trying to advance off a wild pitch and UNA's Barnes battled back to strikeout Fernando Ortiz to finally end the contest.
Pat Morrow started for the Flames and allowed two runs, one earned in 5.2 innings. He struck out seven and scattered five walks and three hits.
Joe Parete was called on to close things out in seven but gave up the tying run on a bunt single from Davis Elliott, who finished with three hits for the Lions.
Head Coach Mark Brew used seven other pitchers to get through nine extra innings. Thomas Zazzaro, Logan Workman, Jay Prior, John Reese Gilmer, Lance Hamilton and David Pattinson combined to give up eight hits and strikeout 10.
The Flames took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a run-scoring single from Tyler Payne. The junior also walked four times in the contest.
Fernando Ortiz doubled to account for the lone extra base hit for Lee while Meeker was the only player with two hits.
Lane Wallace started and gave up three runs in five-plus innings for North Alabama. Josh Stillman (five innings) and Bryant Claunch (four innings) combined for 13 strikeouts in nine scoreless innings of relief. Jonathan Cook (1-0) was credit with the win after coming on in the 16
th inning.
GAME ONE - LEE 0 UNA 3
Behind a stellar performance from starter Tyler Joyner (3-2) the North Alabama Lions defeated the Lee Flames, 3-0 in game one on Saturday.
Joyner threw a complete-game shutout and struck out 11. He did not walk batter and took a perfect game into the sixth inning before Spencer Mossburg broke it up with a double. Tyler Payne singled with one-out in the ninth for the only other Lee hit.
The Lions got on the board thanks to a throwing error in the second inning. Kyle Hubbuch hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to extend the advantage to 2-0. The final tally came on a RBI single by Tate Mathis.
Eric Freeman (1-3) started and worked 5.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits. Wes Albert tossed 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to keep the game within reach. The senior allowed just one hit and struck out four.
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