MONTEVALLO, Alabama – After suffering tough back-to-back 5-4 defeats to the University of Montevallo at Bob Reisner Stadium this weekend, the Lee baseball team bounced back in the nightcap on Saturday afternoon to post a 7-3 victory in the important GSC series.
The win improved the Flames record to 24-21 overall and 14-12 in GSC play. Lee will return to Larry Carpenter Stadium and close out the regular season when they entertain the University of West Florida in a three-game series beginning on Friday. Saturday will feature Military Appreciation Day and festivities are scheduled to begin at 12 noon.
"(Jack) Nedrow gave us another solid performance when we had to have it," commented Lee Coach Mark Brew. "Our offense really stepped up early in game two. I thought our pitching was solid all weekend in a very offensive park. It was a really competitive series and we could have just as easily won the series, but I was proud of our response in game two today,"
Game 2 – Flames 7, Falcons 3
Freshman Jack Nedrow improved his record to 8-4 on the year by working 6.2 innings. The right-hander gave up four hits, three earned runs, struck out a pair and walked four. Sam Fulton was called on to record the final out of the afternoon.
The Flames outhit the Falcons 8-4 and wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard by scoring two runs in the first inning, two more runs in the second, a single run in the third and two more runs in the fourth to claim a 7-0 lead.
Dylan Standifer paced the Flames at the plate with three hits in four trips, including a double and two singles. He also drove home three runs. Brandon Daniels had two hits and an RBI while Matthew Batts homered in the victory.
In the first inning Thomas Zazzaro walked, Standifer singled and both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Cam Suto stroked a one-base hit to plate two runs.
In the second Justen Freeman walked, Jake Edwards was hit by a pitch and Zazzaro was issued a free pass to load the bases. Standifer continued his good work at the plate by driving home two runs with a one-base knock.
After Batts homered in the third inning, the Flames helped salt the victory away with two more scores in the fourth. Again, it was Zazzaro helping set the table with a walk followed by a double by Standifer that scored Zazzaro. Daniels ripped a one-base hit to left that scored Standifer and put Lee's final run of the victory on the board.
Montevallo ended Nedrow's run at a shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning. A walk and a single put runners at first and second and Ben Teel homered over the left-center field wall to cut the Lee margin to 7-3.
The Falcons used six pitchers in the loss. Logan Samuels (3-1) was the starter and losing pitcher. He lasted just one inning and allowed two hits, four earned runs, walked two and struck out one.
Game 1 – Falcons 5, Flames 4
The Flames outhit the Falcons 7-5 in the contest but could never come up with a key hit for the second straight game. Baserunners were hard to come by. Montevallo pitchers only issued three free passes and Lee hurlers only walked two. The Flames left five runners on base and the Falcons six.
Lee struck first in the top of the third inning. Nate Bynum put down a bunt single and Justen Freeman followed with a single to right that sent Bynum to third. Dylan Standifer picked up an RBI with a single.
The Falcons put four big runs on the board in the bottom of the third. The inning was led off by a hit batter, followed by a single and a walk to load the bases. Reed Latimer answered with a booming triple that cleared the bases and Asa Awbrey followed with a one-base hit to score Latimer.
Lee rallied back to tie the game at four in the top of the sixth inning. Brandon Daniels started the rally with a one-base hit and Isaac Quinones walked. Cam Suto followed in a pinch-hit role and collected a one-base hit that plated a run. Matthew Batts delivered a one-base knock that drove two big scores across the plate.
Tension grew as the contest headed for the bottom of the eighth inning. Miguel Alba had worked the first 5.1 innings for the Flames and had allowed three hits, four earned runs, struck out seven and walked two. Coach Brew called on Alan Zhang Carter to pitch the next 2.2 frames.
Carter allowed a pair of hits and an earned run, struck out four and did not walk a man. However, in the eighth the Falcons Sam Kuchinski reached on an infield single. Latimer followed with a one-base hit. A ground out pushed the Montevallo runners to second and third and the hard-luck Flames watched as a fly-ball out plated what turned out to be the winning run of the game.
