CLEVELAND, Tenn.-Visiting Shorter University built a 5-1 lead after three innings and then rode solid pitching to an 8-2 victory over Lee in a key GSC baseball contest staged at Larry Carpenter Stadium on Olympic Field Friday evening. The loss dropped the Flames to 14-14 in league play and 25-22 overall while the Hawks improved to 15-12, 26-19.
The two rivals will continue the important three-game series starting with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. At the same time, West Alabama and Union University will play a single game to complete their series while Delta State will face Mississippi College in a twinbill.
The Flames managed only four hits in Friday's loss. Malachi Cloud ripped his 10th homer of the year in the ninth inning. Brandon Daniels tripled high off the right-centerfield wall in the sixth. Cam Suto doubled in the third while Isaac Quinones had an infield hit to drive home Cloud with Lee's only other run in the second inning.
Cameron Land was the starting and losing Lee pitcher. He worked 1.2 innings and gave up six hits and four earned runs. Sam Fulton followed for 5.1 innings. He allowed five hits, three earned runs, and fanned six. David White hurled an inning and surrendered a run while posting two strikeouts and walking two. Brycen Jewell pitched the ninth inning and did not give up a run and added a pair of strikeouts.
Shorter had 11 hits and seven went for extra bases. Kody Krause blasted a two-run homer in the second inning and was joined by Jacob Pajer who followed with a four-bagger of his own. Krause finished with two hits and three RBI. Pajer had two hits and scored three times. Kobe Jones had three doubles and a pair of RBI.
The bottom of the Hawk order hurt the Flames. Issac Harkins had a single and double and a run scored. He joined Logan Stockton, who had a hit, scored a run and also an RBI. Both joined the ever-present ninth place hitter Krause.
Ethan Hawthorne started and pitched six solid innings for Shorter. He allowed three hits and an earned run, fanning seven Flames and walking two. Luke Queen pitched to one batter while Coy Martin finished the deal, working 2.2 innings, giving up one hit, one run, a walk and posting a strikeout.
