You expect a hard-fought game when two of the top teams in Gulf South Conference baseball tangle, but very few would admit it would take 13 innings before the winner was finally decided. That's exactly what happened at Larry Carpenter Stadium and Olympic Field on Friday afternoon when the Lee hosted a surging Shorter University club.
"It was a battle to the end and I am proud of our fight, but we had our chances. Shorter has a really good team and they showed that tonight, but we gave a few too many mistakes to them and couldn't make the necessary adjustments at the plate," commented Lee coach Mark Brew. "Workman wasn't his best but settled down and battled to allow us a chance to get back in it. Rivera did a great job matching them for his four innings."
The Hawks finally pushed across the winning run in the 8-7 contest but had to turn back another rally by the Flames in the bottom of the 13
th to claim the victory. Shorter ended Lee's 13 straight games winning streak. The loss dropped the No. 3 team in Division II to 24-3 overall and a conference leading 19-2 mark. The Hawks, ranked 24
th, improved to 20-8 overall and 17-8 in GSC play.
Shorter jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning against Lee pitching ace Logan Workman. However, the right-hand hurler would settle down over the next six innings and finish the afternoon allowing six hits, three earned runs, striking out nine and walking four.
The Flames battled back and cut the margin to 5-1 in the bottom of the second on a home run by Ryan Beamish. Lee tied the game at five in the fourth and it was Beamish's second four-bagger of the afternoon that plated two runs. Dylan Standifer ripped his second homer of the year and Brandon Daniels also had his second four-bagger.
Lee led for the first time in the fifth inning when Beamish continued his outstanding afternoon at the dish. He doubled down the right-field line, scoring Justen Freeman. Beamish finished the day with his 12
th and 13
th home runs of the year. He also leads the Flames in RBI with 44.
Neither team scored again until the Hawks tied the game at six in the top of the eighth. Cory Mason flied out to right-field and Donovan Frayer scored on the sacrifice fly. Neither team was able to score in the ninth, 10
th and 11
th as the international rule (placing a runner at second base) came into play. In the 12
th, Shorter regained a 7-6 lead when Arron Reardon sent a sac fly to left center that plated Peter Whittman.
The Flames battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the 12
th when Alan Smith walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Nate Bynum entered as a pinch runner and scored the equalizer on a wild pitch.
The Hawks put another run on the board in the top of the 13
th. Mason got his second RBI of the wild contest when his sac fly to left field scored Louis Acevedo with what turned out to be the winning run. Lee threatened again in the bottom but came up short. Landon Silver was placed on second and advanced to third on a sac fly by Standifer. Daniels and Jared Demkowicz went down swinging to end the heart-breaking affair.
The contest displayed an outstanding pitching performance by Shorter ace, Jonathan Pintaro. The right-hander came on for the final six innings and allowed one unearned run. He struck out 10 and walked three. Kevin Ludden, who is usually the Hawks closer, hurled 2.2 innings. He gave up only one hit, struck out four and walked two. Pintaro improved his record to 8-1 on the year.
The Flames went to the bullpen for Michael Hendricks for one inning and he surrendered an unearned run. Andy Rivera matched Pintaro pitch-for-pitch over the next four innings. He gave up two hits, one run, struck out five and walked one. Alan Carter pitched the 13
th inning and was the hard-luck loser. He gave up one run on a sacrifice fly.
The same two clubs are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. "We've got a short turn around to a big doubleheader. I expect us to bounce back and play well," concluded Brew.
