CLEVELAND, Tenn.-Midweek pitching captured the spotlight for the Lee baseball team on Tuesday evening in an 11-1 eight-inning run-rule victory over visiting Tusculum College. "I was really pleased with our pitching tonight. We had zero walks and all guys commanded multiple pitches," praised Coach Mark Brew. The Flames improved to 21-17 and the Pioneers dropped to 23-18 in the non-conference affair.
Lee turns its attention to a three-game GSC series against Union University. The action slated for Larry Carpenter Stadium will begin on Friday at 6 p.m. with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. Military Appreciation Day is also scheduled for Saturday at 12:15. Area veterans will be honored at that time.
"Offensively, it wasn't our best performance, but I thought it was a business-like performance. We have another big series in front of us with Union this weekend. We are looking forward to hosting those men and women that have served on Saturday at our annual Military Appreciation Day," pointed out Coach Brew.
Colt McKibben set the tone for four Lee pitchers that turned in solid performances against the Pioneers. All totaled they did not walk a batter and struck out six while allowing one earned run. McKibben hurled the first three innings and surrendered two hits while fanning three.
Brycen Jewell followed for the next two innings. He gave up three hits and one earned run. Sam Coffelt worked two frames and gave up three hits and sent two down swinging while Lucas Quezada closed the deal by retiring three straight batters and posting a strikeout. Coffelt (1-0) was credited with the pitching win.
The Flames wasted no time in taking the pressure off the pitchers by scoring four runs in the first inning and scoring two more in the second. The Pioneers were their own worst enemy by hitting two batters in the first frame and walking two others.
Josiah Miller collected Lee's only hit in the first. His double plated a run while Noah Hattier, who was hit by a pitch, Dylan Standifer, who walked, Brandon Daniels, who was hit by a pitch and Miller scored before the inning ended. In the second, Gavin Baxter, who was celebrating a birthday, was hit by a pitch and scored on Standifer's double. Standifer then scored on Cam Suto's one-base hit.
Lee added another run in the fifth inning on a long homerun by Daniels. The Flames tacked on another run in the seventh when Daniels walked, Malachi Cloud singled and Daniels scored on a sac fly by Riley Majano.
The final two runs and the run-rule occurred in the bottom of the eighth. Standifer became the fourth Lee batter to be hit by a pitch. Miller singled, JJ Williams walked to load the bases and a two-base error by the Pioneer shortstop plated Standifer and Miller. Suto and Miller were the only Flames to finish with two hits.
Tusculum used five pitchers and Billy Quinn (1-2) was the losing hurler. The Pioneers had eight hits in the loss with Louis Reyes having a pair of singles while Murphy Flood doubled and Kaden Swaim had a hit and drove in his team's only run.
