ROME, Ga. –In the first two Gulf South Conference games of the season, the Lee University softball team hit eight home runs and had five doubles as they swept Shorter University 19-4 and 17-5. Six different Lady Flames sent shots over the fence in the sweep of the Lady Hawks. With the win, Lee improved their record to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in GSC play. It is the first time since 2015 that the Lady Flames have started a season 5-0.
GAME 1
Shorter came out strong in the first game as they took the lead in the bottom of the first with a three-run home run from Rylee Gattis. The Lady Flames answered right back in the top of the second when Marquila Howell drove in Ava Perkins for their first run.
Lee took the lead in the third inning. Javaria Smith drove in Alexa Scalzo to tie it. That was followed by a Bella Galloway double scoring Smith. Kylie Bohl had the next RBI of the inning sending Galloway to home plate. A couple of Shorter errors later in the third allowed Bohl and Laney Harris to score and Lee led 6-3 after three innings.
The fourth inning had Galloway and Bohl each get another RBI to extend the lead to 8-3. Shorter got a run back to make it 8-4 going to the fifth inning.
Lee exploded for 11 runs in the sixth inning with six home runs. Galloway started the inning with a two-run home run. Two batters later Ashley Fields had another two-run home run. The very next batter, Perkins, followed that up with a solo bomb. Howell then made it back-to-back-to-back home runs. Three batters later, Abgail Jarvi hit her first home run of her career. Harris had the last home run of the inning and the Lady Flames won game one 19-4.
Lee hit six home runs and three doubles in the win. Olivia Tyson earned her third win of the season giving up four runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Galloway had four RBI to lead the team.
GAME 2
The Lady Flames came out of the games quickly again in game two. Galloway walked in Alexa Scalzo to start the game. Harris was then hit by a pitch and that brought in Hailey Simco. Bohl than smacked a bases clearing double to give Lee a 5-0 lead. Scalzo ended the first inning with a two RBI single and the Lady Flames led 7-0 after the first.
In the second inning, Harris hit the first home run of game two and Lee led 8-0. Shorter hit two home runs in the bottom of the fourth including a grand slam to climb back in the game 8-5.
Then in the top of the fifth the Lady Flames exploded for nine runs to help secure the win. After Fields and Perkins go on base, and error by Shorter in Simco's at bat brought them both home to make it 10-5. After that the Lady Flames had three straight hits before a walk and a double brought in four more runs. Howell then had a bases clearing double and Fields hit another home run to give Lee the 17-5 win.
The Lady Flames hit two home runs in game two and had two doubles. Katie Willoughby earned her first win of the season going three innings giving up five runs on five hits and had three strikeouts. Abigail Welbaum in relief gave up one hit in two innings. Harris, Bohl, and Fields all had three RBI in the win.
Coach Emily Russell's Thoughts:
"We played well today. Offensively we were able to make adjustment's to their pitching and push some runs across."
"We are growing as a staff and getting stronger and learning. They kept their focus and kept the pressure on the other team."
