MONTGOMERY, Alabama – With all three-game series this season slated for nine innings, the final game of the weekend sometimes turns into a slugfest and that's exactly what happened between the Lee baseball team and host Auburn Montgomery University on Sunday afternoon. The Flames used eight pitchers in trying to shut down the Warhawks offense and at the same time AUM sent five hurlers to the mound. The result was a 16-13 Warhawks victory.
"It was clearly an offensive day from the get-go," explained Lee head coach Mark Brew. "I was proud of our guys for battling to fight back in the game but we just couldn't stop them offensively. We had a chance of our own offensively late but the big hits didn't come."
Brew added, "We have a bye next weekend and it will allow us to refresh and get prepared for a huge series with Delta State on March 13-14."
Lee left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning but Jax Morris weathered the storm and picked up the pitching save. It was the first conference loss of the season for the Flames, who are 11-2 overall and 10-2 in GSC play. The Warhawks evened their record at 6-6.
Lee pounded out 15 hits in the loss but the Warhawks were on top of their game with 19 hits, including four home runs and three doubles. The Flames countered with the big bat of Landon Silver. He almost hit for the cycle with a pair of doubles, a triple and a home run. Justen Freeman added a double, two other hits and scored three runs. Thomas Zazzaro collected two hits, a run scored and a RBI. Alan Smith added a pair of knocks and scored twice. Dylan Standifer got into the act with a hit, two runs and a RBI. Colton Yeager batted in two runs with his two hits. Nate Bynum added a double.
The Warhawks made the best of lead-off hitter Quinterrious Arrington who had four hits and ripped a homer, crossed the dish three times and collected three RBI. Zach Feastar, Ethan Wells and Jackson Ceman joined in the homerun parade. Ceman also stroked a double as did Matthew Marfice and Casey Henderson.
The Flames went down quickly 5-3 but fought back all afternoon. They posted five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth. However, AUM countered back with a back-breaking eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the fifth, Freeman reached on an error. Smith was hit by a pitch and the Flames loaded the bases when Ryan Beamish was safe on an error that allowed Freeman to score. Standifer singled home Smith. Yeager sent a sacrifice fly to right that pushed Beamish across the plate. Silver collected a RBI with a double that scored Standifer. The final run of the inning came when Riley Black reached on another Warhawks error that allowed Silver to cross the dish.
In the top of the sixth, Zazzaro singled and stole second. Smith was hit by a pitch and Standifer walked to load the bases. Yeager picked up a RBI the easy way when he received a free pass with the sacks jammed. Silver made the Warhawks pay when he continued his torrid hitting at the plate with a triple to center that plated Yeager, Standifer and Smith.
Coach Mark Brew made a path to the mound as he called on seven pitchers in relief of starter Alex Harper-Cook. The lefty allowed five hits and four earned runs in 1.1 innings. Alan Rickman gave the Flames 3.2 innings surrendering three hits and a pair of earned runs. Nate Dupree came on for 0.1 innings and was touched for three hits and three earned runs. Michael Hendricks took the loss. In 0.1 innings he allowed four hits and four earned runs. Jax Howard and Andrew Franklin followed before Alan Carter and Alex Butler closed the door on the Warhawks scoring in the seventh and eighth innings.
