CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Lee University softball dropped the first game of the weekend series against Newberry 3-2 in eight innings on Friday afternoon at Butler Field. It was the first meeting  between Lee (0-5) and Newberry (3-2) in program history. The one run loss for the Lady Flames was their third one run loss of the season. 
 
In the top of the first, Newberry got a hit but the starting pitcher for Lee Natalie Pruitt struck out two batters. After that, neither team was able to garner a base runner until the bottom of the third inning when Alesandro Razo was walked. Newberry had a double with one out in the fourth inning but Pruitt forced to ground balls and got out of the inning.
 
Javaria Smith had the first hit for Lee in the bottom of the fourth but Lee hit into a couple of ground balls and could not capitalize. Newberry had a lead off hit in the fifth and got the runner to third base but Lee got out of the inning again. The first run came in the bottom of the fifth for Lee. Kylie Bohl started off the inning with a single and then got to second on a wild pitch. Rylie Goodridge was walked and that was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Annalyn Ormsby. Then Razo was walked to load the bases. Laney Harris then singled to score Bohl to give Lee the lead. The Lady Flames left the bases loaded with a couple of ground balls to end the threat.
 
Both teams got a base runner in the sixth inning, but left them stranded. In the top of the seventh, Pruitt ran into trouble as two singles brought in a run to tie the game for Newberry. Olivia Tyson came in to pitch in relief and got a strike out to end the frame. In the bottom of the seventh, Harris had a single but was left on base.
 
In the first extra inning, the international tie breaker was used and Emily Hughes scored a run for Newberry off of a single from Melanie Carr. Newberry had another two hits to score Molly Mattas to give the Wolves the 3-1 lead. In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Ana Macha scored on a sacrifice fly from Alexa Scalzo. Lee got two more runners on base but could not bring in the tying run.
 
Olivia Tyson received the loss for the Lady Flames. She threw one and one-third inning and gave up two runs on three hits. The starter Natalie Pruitt went six and two third innings and gave up one run on five hits and struck out three. Alexandrea Sullivan earned the win for Newberry as she threw three innings and gave up one run on one hit. Started Lindsey Foster went five innings and gave up one run on three hits.
 
Harris was two -for-four from the plate with one run batted in. Scalzo had the other RBI for Lee.
 
The Lady Flames will take on Newberry with a double header on Saturday, February 11 beginning at 12 PM at Butler Field in Cleveland.