Oxford, Alabama – Lee became the only remaining unbeaten team in the 2022 GSC Baseball Tournament by defeating Alabama Huntsville 8-5 on Sunday evening inside Choccolocco Park.

The Flames posted their 30^th win of the season against 21 defeats and will face Shorter University on Monday at approximately 3 p.m. Eastern. In Sunday's other action Shorter remained alive by eliminating Valdosta State and Delta State did the same by stopping Montevallo. Delta and Huntsville will play in the opening game on Monday.

The hot-hitting Thomas Zazzaro paced Lee's eight-hit attack in the win over the Chargers. After Huntsville jumped on top 1-0 in the second inning, the Flames grabbed a 3-1 lead in the top of the third. Matthew Batts walked, Justen Freeman was hit by a pitch, Jake Edwards put down a sacrifice bunt and Zazzaro picked up a pair of RBI with a two-base hit that scored Batts and Freeman.

The Lee margin reached 4-1 in the fourth inning on a solo homer by Jared Demkowicz, but the Chargers quickly tied the contest at four in the bottom of the same inning, mainly due to a two-run homer blast off the bat of Brennan Vasquez.
Back came the Flames with two runs in the top of the fifth. Freeman stroked a double, Edwards walked, and Freeman scored on Zazzaro's one-base hit. Brandon Daniels put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that scored Edwards putting the Flames on top 6-4.

The Chargers refused to go away and came back to cut the lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth and threatened again in the sixth before Alan Zhang Carter was able to work his way out of a jam with three big strikeouts
With the large Lee crowd on hand, the Flames put a pair of insurance runs on the board in the seventh and increased the lead to 8-5. Zazzaro was in the middle of the action again with a one-base hit to start the inning. Daniels was hit by a pitch, and both scored on a double by Dylan Standifer.

In the bottom of the inning Carter gave up a walk, a single and recorded a strikeout before walking a man to load the bases. He came back with his second strikeout of the inning and then got a ground ball  back to the mound to battle his way out of a second straight pitching jam.

Coach Mark Brew called on big Sam Fulton to help salvage the win for the second straight night. In the eighth Garrett Bodine reached on a one-base hit. The next Huntsville hitter went down on strikes. Zazzaro made a leaping catch to retire Landon Ezzell and Fulton recorded his second strikeout to retire the side.

In the ninth the Chargers opened with a double, but Fulton was able to get three fly-outs and pick up his sixth save of the season. Carter (2-1) was credited with the win. Cameron Land was the Lee starting pitcher and worked 3.2 innings. Tim Gooden followed for 1.1 innings before Carter and Fulton came on to seal the deal.

"Our guys showed a lot of toughness tonight. We had to scratch and claw against a good UAH team," said Lee Coach Mark Brew. "Zazzaro gave us some nice swings from the front of the lineup and Gooden, Carter and Fulton carried some huge outs from the bullpen. It will be another tough day for us tomorrow as we take on a Shorter team that has played well as of late."