CLEVELAND, Tenn.-The Lee University baseball team split the Saturday afternoon doubleheader with Southern Wesleyan University that was played at Larry Carpenter Stadium. The visiting Warriors won the first contest in 12 innings 5-4 and the Flames came back to easily win the nightcap 12-2. The win in the third game of the series will send the Flames into a Wednesday afternoon (3 p.m.) single game against visiting Lincoln Memorial University with a 2-1 record.
Game 2 – Lee 12, Southern Wesleyan 2
The Flames put 10 runs on the board in the first two innings and that was plenty for first-season pitcher Nelson Smith. The big right-hander worked five innings and gave up only two hits and no runs. He issued one free pass and struck out four in claiming the victory.
Cal Goss got the first call out of the pen for Lee. He worked an inning, gave up a hit and two earned runs while walking two. David White followed Goss to the mound and also worked an inning, registering two Ks. Frankie Volkers turned in an impressive showing. Over two innings, he sent five Warriors back to the dugout, down swinging and walked only one.
At the plate, the Flames rode the hot bats of Brandon Daniels, Cam Suto and Ashton Simmons. Daniels was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Suto was a perfect 2-for-2 with a double and three runs scored. Simmons had a pair of hits, one RBI and a run scored. Josiah Miller ripped a home run and knocked in three big runs while Isaiah French doubled and collected two RBI. Dylan Standifer had a hit and scored twice while Mark Underwood collected his first of the season.
Southern Wesleyan managed just three hits off the Lee hurlers. Marty Grisso had a hit and scored a run while Cam Mitchem and Derek Francis had the other one-base knocks. Jack Dennison tallied the other score in the loss.
The Warriors used seven pitchers in defeat. Gage Shaver started and lasted only 1.1 innings. He surrendered four hits and six earned runs. Southern Wesleyan hurlers settled down after the first couple of innings but the damage was done. Bryce Metts, Jaylen Morgan, Josiah Sizemore and Ash Faulk did not allow a hit over their six innings of work.
Game 1 12 Innings – Southern Wesleyan 5, Lee 4
The visiting Warriors evened the three-game series in Saturday afternoon's opener by scoring a single run in the top of the 12th inning and then setting the Flames' top of the order down 1-3 in the bottom of the inning.
Southern Wesleyan got excellent relief pitching from Steven Mufareh (4.2 innings) and Christopher Hund (3.0 innings). Mufareh allowed only one hit while walking a batter and fanning three. Hund was outstanding in securing the pitching win. He surrendered just one hit and struck out four Lee hitters.
On the other hand, Lee started Keegan Gagliardo. He hurled three innings, giving up two hits, one earned run, walking three and striking out four. Zachary Lawson got the call for 2.1 frames. He allowed two hits, two earned runs, registered four walks and a pair of strikeouts. Tim Gooden was next for 1.2 innings. He gave up a hit but no runs and fanned two.
Hard-throwing Jax Howard came to the mound for four innings. The big right-hander gave up one hit and one earned run. He struck out four and walked one. Howard was tagged with the tough loss. Hunter Lane worked an inning and gave up a hit, walked one and fanned one.
Clay Porter and Kelly Coleman each collected two of Southern Wesleyan's seven hits, but it was Cam Mitchem who drove in two runs. Jason Culley and Travis Hammond posted RBI in the win while Porter, Tyler Jackson and Josh Long also scored runs.
The Flames pounded out 10 hits. Cam Suto continued his fine plate work with two more doubles. He scored a run and knocked in one. Matthew Batts tripled and singled while Ashton Simmons stroked his first homerun of the season. Luke Collier hit safely and scored as did Josiah Miller. Dylan Standifer, Brandon Daniels and JJ Williams also joined the hit parade.
