MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Lee University baseball team saw its playoff hopes and season come to an end with two losses Saturday afternoon at Auburn University at Montgomery. The Flames (23-26, 11-16 GSC) entered the day needing to win one of the two games to clinch the final spot in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Warhawks finished their season at 27-22 (14-15 GSC), but they were not eligible for postseason play while completing the NCAA membership process.
"It's certainly not the way we expected things to go today," said Lee head coach Mark Brew. "We all expected a better result, but we just made too many mistakes. Give AUM credit. They kept pressing us all day and forced some big innings that proved too much to overcome."
Saturday afternoon marked the final games in the Lee careers of seniors Fernando Ortiz, David Pattinson, Tyler Payne, Miguel Pimentel and Winston Whitener.
"My hat's off to these five seniors. We wanted to send them out on a better note. They are such great young men and will be successes in whatever life sends their way. I am honored to have coached them and love each of them and wish them the best," concluded Brew.
GAME 1: AUM 11, LEE 1
Justen Freeman tallied two of the Flames' five hits in the game one loss. Payne, Joshua Perez and Parker Stahlman added singles to the total. AUM used nine hits and two Lee errors to push across 11 runs.
AUM opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI groundout by Quinterrious Arrington. The home team would pile on five more runs in their next at bat, highlighted by a three-run triple by Casey Henderson.
Lee answered with Payne's RBI single in the fifth inning, but AUM would add four more in the sixth and a solo home run by Matt Zielonko to supply the final margin in the bottom of the seventh.
Alex Butler was charged with the loss after giving up five hits and five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. Butler (3-5) also walked four and struck out three AUM batters. Troy Jones improved to 4-5 with the complete-game win. He scattered five hits, walked four and fanned six in seven innings of work.
GAME 2: AUM 6, LEE 2
With a postseason berth on the line, the Flames struck for single runs in the third and fourth innings to hold a 2-0 lead after four innings. Alan Smith cracked the scoreboard with a solo home run in the third and Keyshaun Smith scored from first following a failed pickoff attempt by the AUM pitcher and a wild throw by the right fielder trying to nail Smith at third base.
AUM scored all the runs they would need in the fifth inning. The Warhawks recorded five hits and took advantage of two Lee errors to plate six runs in the frame.
Alan Smith and Keyshaun Smith had five of Lee's seven hits in game two. Alan was 3-for-4 with a home run and Keyshaun finished the game 2-for-3. Ortiz and Payne picked up one single each.
AUM finished the game with seven hits with Henderson leading the way with three safeties and two RBIs. Zach Feaster was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
The teams combined for nine errors in the game with the Flames guilty of five of those.
Thomas Zazzaro (2-4) was tagged with the loss. He gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits in 4 1/3 innings, while walking one and striking out one. Todd Burkett shut out Lee over the final four innings to earn the win for AUM. Burkett (4-2) gave up three hits, walked one and struck out four Flames.
