After winning the first game 17-1, the Lee baseball team struggled in the nightcap and dropped a 4-3 decision to visiting Urbana University (Ohio) on Saturday afternoon at Olympic Field.
"We lost our focus for some reason in the second game," commented head coach Mark Brew. "I guess that's the reason we are a .500 ball club (8-8) at this stage. We've got a lot of work to do and will come back and see what happens in the final game of this three-game series on Sunday afternoon." (1 p.m.)
Lee 17, Urbana 1
With parents gathered for the annual Parents Day event, the Flames wasted no time in putting six runs on the board in the second inning and coasting to the victory. Lee pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of four errors by the Blue Knights.
Seniors Fernando Ortiz and Miguel Pimentel led the hitting attack. Pimentel blasted his fourth homer of the season, finishing with four hits, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Ortiz was not about to be outdone. He stroked a double, single and plated five big runs.
Catcher Justin Fragale had a pair of hits, collected two RBI and crossed the plate twice. Dalton Ney doubled and scored three runs, while Tyler Payne picked up two hits and tallied once. Thomas Zazzaro had a RBI, scored twice on one hit, while Keyshaun Smith also crossed the dish three times and had a one-base hit.
Randall Coxwell was the starting and winning hurler for the Flames. He worked five innings and allowed three hits. Winston Whitener surrendered two hits and a run and joined Lance Hamilton, Davis Gurosky and David Pattinson in pitching one inning.
Jackson Everman was the first of five hurlers for the losers. In taking the loss, he toed the rubber for 1.2 innings giving up five hits and four earned runs.
Urbana 4, Lee 3
The Blue Knights rode the strong pitching of Cole Weaver in picking up their first win of the young season. The right-hander pitched 6.2 innings giving up five hits and just one earned run. He struck out three and walked three. Ryan Townsend came on to record the final out of the game and picked up the save.
"Give Weaver credit, he commanded the strike zone and held our guys at bay for most of the game," noted Brew. "Hopefully, we can come out refocused and turn in a better overall effort on Sunday."
Freshman Alex Butler (2-1) was dealt his first loss of the year. In five innings, he gave up three hits, three earned runs, fanned four and issued three free passes. Brandon Thompson relieved Butler for the final two innings. He gave up three hits and one unearned run. The Flames were guilty of two costly errors.
Cody Smith was the only Lee player with two hits, including a double and RBI. Ortiz drove in a run with a hit and Payne collected Lee's other RBI with a single. Keyshaun Smith had Lee's other safe knock.
After being down 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Flames tallied a pair of runs and had the tying and go-ahead run on the bases before recording the game's final out.
