The Lee softball split a doubleheader with Delta State on Saturday afternoon to wrap up the Gulf South Conference weekend series from Butler Field. The Lady Flames got the bats going to take game one 11-3 in five innings before Delta State jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on to take the nightcap and the series with a 6-4 win.

The Lady Flames move to 6-9 on the year and 4-5 in the GSC. The Lady Statesmen improve to 12-8 and 7-5 in league play.

"I think we had the opportunity to win three games this weekend which is a positive however we've got to make the adjustments quickly and quit letting the opportunity slip away," said Lee head coach Emily Russell. "I love that this team always fights but we have to quit digging ourselves holes and make adjustments more quickly at the plate. We don't rely on one person but everybody has to hold the rope all the time and we are getting there."

Lee will step outside of conference play to travel to Franklin Springs, Ga. to take on Emmanuel College in a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m. The Lady Flames return home to take on Montevallo in a three game GSC Series starting next Saturday at 1 p.m.

GAME 1 – LEE 11 DSU 3 (5 innings)
Taylor De Adder used her arm and her bat to help guide the Lady Flames to a five-inning run-rule victory in game one. Trailing 3-0 the Lady Flames scored 11 unanswered runs as De Adder delivered a three-run homer to cap off a six-run fourth and ended the game with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

De Adder also earned the win in the circle as she allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six in five innings.

The Lee offense exploded for 11 hits including a two-run double by Laney Harris. Richards, Ormsby and Hatcher all joined De Adder with two hits each. Hatcher scored three runs and drove in a pair.   

Olivia Burns (2-5) was tagged with the loss for Delta State. She started and was chased in the fourth inning allowing seven runs on six hits. Brookelyn Sweeney came on in relief and was hit with four runs on five hits in 1.1 innings of work.

GAME 2 – LEE 4 DSU 6
Raegan Stafford doubled, singled and drove in three runs to help the Lady Statesmen split the doubleheader with the Lady Flames with a 6-4 win in game two.

Delta State jumped out to a 6-0 lead with run in the first, two in the second and three in fourth. The Lady Flames would not go down without a fight however as Laney Harris got the team on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly. Lee would tack on another thanks to a Lady Statesmen error before AnnaMarie Stooksbury drilled a single up the middle to make it 6-3.

Stooksbury would pull the Lady Flames one step closer with a run scoring double to left center. Lee appeared poised to complete the comeback with runners on second and third and nobody out in a 6-4 game but Lacey Coats worked out of trouble with some help from the Lady Flames. A caught stealing, strikeout and lineout ended the threat.

Coats (9-2) closed the door in the seventh on Lee to give Delta State the series win. She allowed four runs, two earned on seven hits to go along with four punchouts and two walks.

Burns went 3 for 3 with a double for the visitors while Kailyn Loften added a double, single and a walk. The Delta State offense pounded out nine hits and drew six walks in the contest.

Mallory Orchard (1-3) started for Lee and worked 2.1 innings allowing three runs. She gave way to Madison Barnett who yielded the other three runs, one earned in 1.2 innings of relief. Gracie Leslie came on to toss the final three scoreless frames with two strikeouts.