VALDOSTA, Ga. – After scoring 13 runs and collecting 17 hits in a Saturday afternoon victory over host Valdosta State, the Lee baseball team was held to only four runs on 11 hits in a doubleheader loss to the Blazers on Sunday afternoon at Billy Grant Field.
The first game ended in a 17-3 run-rule loss and the nightcap saw the Flames drop a 5-1 decision. Overall Lee stands at 18-16 and drops to 8-10 in the GSC standings. Valdosta improves to 20-9, 12-6. The Flames will continue their road adventures on Tuesday, traveling to Nashville to face an old rival in Trevecca Nazarene at 7 p.m. They will return home for a big three-game series against GSC leader Montevallo on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday
Game 1 – Valdosta 17, Lee 3
The Blazers wasted no time in scoring 17 runs over the first four innings in the seven-innings, run-rule contest. Lee starter Sam Fulton (-2) was touched for five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He allowed three hits and walked two while hitting one batter. Greyson Linderman followed for an inning. He also allowed five earned runs on three hits and walked two.
Three other Lee pitchers came to the mound before Colt McKibben settled things down with a scoreless inning and three strikeouts. Frankie Volters followed with another scoreless frame. He fanned a pair. Kevin Tomas went six innings and collected the win for the Blazers. He allowed two hits, no runs while striking out six. Tyler Spitzbarth hurled the final inning but allowed three hits and one earned run.
Malachi Cloud had two of Lee's five hits and scored a run. Riley Black singled, collected an RBI and scored. Adam Goolsby had a one-base hit and knocked in a run while Gavin Baxter had Lee's other hit and RBI. All Lee runs came in the seventh inning.
Bryson Gandy had a huge day for the Blazers. His homer was among three of his hits and he drove in six runs. Jakob Sessa doubled, singled, posted two RBI and scored twice in the victory.
Game 2 – Valdosta 5, Lee 1
The seven-inning nightcap saw the Blazers score single runs in the first five innings in posting the doubleheader sweep. Dylan Standifer's homerun in the fourth inning was Lee's only score. He also finished with a single. Noah Hattier collected two hits while Goolsby and Ashton Simmons had the other hits for the Flames in the loss.
Jack Nedrow (4-2) was the Lee starter. He worked four innings and allowed five hits and four earned runs while striking out three and walking one. He got into extra trouble by hitting three Blazer batters. David White came on for one-third of an inning and allowed two hits and an unearned run. Sean Casteel pitched the final 1.2 innings. The lefty was perfect and fanned one batter.
The Blazers made the best of seven hits but two of the hits by David Crawford and Sessa left the park, both were solo blasts. Crawford and Nick Gonzalez had a pair of hits for Valdosta. Side-armer Zach Henderson (5-0) went the distance for the Blazers. In seven innings, he gave up six hits, an earned run, walked two and struck out three.
