HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Lee University baseball team split the first two games of a Gulf South Conference series Sunday afternoon against The University of Alabama in Huntsville at Charger Park. The Flames (11-10, 4-3 GSC) won the opener 9-4 and the Chargers (13-8, 5-3 GSC) claimed the nightcap 8-2.
The teams are scheduled to complete the three-game series on Monday at 2 p.m. EDT.
GAME 1
The Flames struck for 14 hits and took advantage of three UAH errors to push across nine runs, while the Chargers mustered just four runs off 10 hits and one Lee error.
Miguel Pimentel was 2-for-4 with two home runs in the opener. He opened the scoring with a solo shot to right field in the first inning and added a two-run home run in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.
Thomas Zazzaro, Keyshaun Smith, Dalton Ney and Parker Stahlman added two hits each to the tally. Smith ripped one of Lee's two doubles with Tyler Payne recording the other. Zazzaro scored twice and drove one more in.
UAH plated two runs in the second, along with solo runs in the third and fourth innings to hold a 4-1 lead through five innings played. Payne lifted a sacrifice fly to score Justin Fragale in the sixth.
Following Pimentel's game-tying homer in the seventh, Fragale scored when Ney reached on an error. Fernando Ortiz singled in Zazzaro to extend the Lee lead to 6-4 in the eighth inning. The Flames added three more runs in the top of the ninth. Stahlman delivered a two-run single and scored on Zazzaro's single to complete the scoring.
UAH had four players record two hits each. Palmer Ford doubled and tripled. Jack Stamper doubled and drove in two runs. Garrett Bodine and Tyler McCown had one double each and Nolan Ramsey added a triple to the total.
Logan Workman was credited with the win after taking the mound in the sixth inning and pitching the final 3 1/3 innings. Workman (2-1) allowed just one hit and struck out seven of the 11 batters he faced.
Brooks Brophy (3-2) was charged with the loss. He was tagged for six hits and four runs (three earned) in two innings of work.
GAME 2
The Lee offense sputtered a little in the second game. After 14 hits in the opener, the Flames were able to put just four hits on the board in game two. UAH ripped nine hits and were aided by four Lee errors on their way to eight runs.
Pimentel continued his hot hitting with two of the team's hits. Ryan Beamish and Stahlman each singled in the loss.
UAH pushed across two unearned runs in the first inning to take the early lead. Pimentel continued his hot hitting with an RBI double in the third. Ortiz scored on Fragale's sacrifice fly to even the score at 2-2.
The Chargers regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the frame and added solo runs in each of the next three innings.
Malave Bettinger and Drake Hollingsworth led the UAH offense with two hits each. Bettinger and Ford tied for the team lead with two RBIs a piece.
Dylan Murphy (2-1) scattered four hits allowed one earned run, walked five and struck out seven to pick up the complete-game win.
Randall Coxwell started for Lee and went four innings before being relieved. Coxwell (1-1) gave up seven hits, four earned runs and struck out six in taking the loss.
