Thanks to a sizzling day at the plate by junior Abby McKinney the Lee softball team rolled two a doubleheader sweep over rival Shorter on a picture perfect Wednesday afternoon from Butler Field.

The Lady Flames outscored the Hawks, 22-3 to improve to 9-10 on the year. The Hawks fall to 10-8 on the year.

McKinney went 4 for 6 with two home runs, two doubles and four RBI. After battling an early season injury it was the type of breakout day at the plate the designated player had been searching for.

"We just decided that as a team we were going to be loose at the plate and do what we know we are capable of doing so that is the approach that I took today," noted McKinney. "We've had to work through some adversity early this season but we have a lot of talent on this team and we just need a day like this to give us a spark and get us going."

Lee will get a Gulf South Conference bye weekend to get rested up before entertaining Bellarmine in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

GAME 1 – LEE 15 HAWKS 0
 McKinney homered and doubled twice and Shonna Penney pitched a complete game shutout as the Lady Flames dominated Shorter, 15-0 in a run-rule shortened opening game.

Penney improved to 3-5 in the circle on the year allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out three.

Taylor De Adder had three singles and three RBI. Kiley Longmire singled and drove in three runs while Kayla Louie and Lily Hatcher set the table at the top of the lineup and scored three runs each.

Shorter ace Peyton Libbert (7-3) labored through four innings allowing 11 hits and six walks. Libbert didn't get much help from her defense as the Hawks committed six errors and allowed eight unearned runs.

GAME 2 – LEE 7 HAWKS 3
The Lady Flames used a five-run third inning to pull away as they completed the sweep of Shorter with a 7-3 win in the nightcap on Wednesday.

Hatcher started the big inning with a RBI triple scoring Louie. She would come home to score on a passed ball a few pitches later. De Adder singled to center to make it 3-0. The Lady Flames would capitalize on the seventh Shorter error of the day to complete the rally as two runners scored on a booted ball by the Hawks' shortstop.

Dani Lukas finally got the Hawks on the scoreboard with a solo home run to right center in the sixth frame.

McKinney would come right back in the bottom of the sixth and complete her sensational day at the plate with her second home run, a two-run blast to right center.

Shorter added a pair of runs in the seventh but it was not nearly enough as De Adder closed out the complete game victory in the circle with her third strikeout. De Adder (4-3) allowed five hits three runs and four walks in the contest.

Julie Sanderlin (2-2) was hit with the loss after she lasted just two-plus innings in the circle before being lifted in the third inning. Sanderlin gave up four runs, two of which were earned.

"We challenged our team yesterday to have a better approach at the plate. Today we played like we are capable of and I was very proud of how we played in every facet of the game. This team has handled so much adversity already and are very resilient and we said today we are going to start a streak and the team really responded," said Lee head coach Emily Russell. "Sometimes when things go wrong early it can spiral and really define your season but these girls are determined to get better each day and they realize we have a lot of season in front of us."