After dropping game one 12-3 the Lee softball team battled back to earn a split with Gulf South Conference foe Delta State with an 11-6 victory in game two on Saturday afternoon from Butler Field.
The split moves the Lady Flames to 17-24 on the year and 6-13 in league play. The Lady Statesmen now sit at 21-7 overall and 11-12 in the GSC.
"I'm proud of how our team responded to the tough loss in game one to take game two. We have a lot of fight in us," said Lee head coach Emily Russell. "It was a good team win. Kayla Louie and Taylor De Adder had great games today offensively and we had timely hits from several people."
The two teams will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
GAME 2
The Lee offense came alive in the nightcap with 16 hits, led by four from Kiley Longmire, to earn the split with the Lady Statesmen.
Longmire doubled and had three singles and scored three runs. Bailey Church gave the Lady Flames an early 3-2 advantage with a two-run homer in the second inning.
Delta State answered with four runs in the third to lead 6-3 before the Lady Flames rallied for eight unanswered runs.
Claudia Jones cut the lead to 6-5 with a two-run blast to left in the bottom of the third. Lee would tie things up on a Delta error before taking the lead for good when Caroline Freiling drew a pinch-hit bases loaded walk.
Taylor De Adder capped off the six-run rally with single to left to score two more runs. Stevie Baird added a run-scoring single in the fourth and Lily Hatcher wrapped up the scoring as she was hit by a pitch with the bags juiced. Hatcher finished with two hits and two RBI.
Kayla Louie delivered a five-hit day from the leadoff spot as she went 3 for 5 with two runs scored for the Lady Flames.
Shonna Penney (7-13) earned the win the circle tossing all seven innings. She allowed six runs (four earned) but put up four scoreless frames to end the contest.
Brittany Taylor (1-3) was the losing pitcher as she gave up six runs in relief of starter Mari Alex Standridge who departed after 2.2 innings allowing five runs on eight hits.
GAME 1
With Lee up 3-2 heading into the fourth the Lady Statemen scored 10 unanswered runs, including six in the sixth to earn the 12-3 six-inning run-rule win in the opener on Saturday.
Olivia Dick had three hits, Mallory Myers added two and Kelly Byrd launched her team-leading eighth home run of the year to key a 10-hit, 12-run outburst from the Lady Statesmen offense. The visitors slugged four home runs with Ta'mya Johnson,
Kailyn Lofton and Jordan Jones joining Byrd with round-trippers.
Kayla Louie doubled, singled and scored a run while Taylor De Adder had two singles and two RBI to lead the Lady Flames offensively.
Delta's Nicole Fillilove (12-9) went the distance and allowed three runs on seven hits. She did not walk a batter and had seven punch outs.
De Adder (7-8) started and went five-plus innings. She gave up 10 runs, nine earned on nine hits while surrendering five free passes.
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