GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - Host Tusculum University took advantage of 10 walks by Lee University pitching and produced timely hitting in posting a 6-4 victory over the 15th-ranked Flames at Pioneer Park on Wednesday evening. The non-conference loss dropped Lee to 22-9 and Tusculum improved to 18-13.
The Flames will move back into GSC action on Friday and Saturday, traveling to Huntsville and facing the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Friday's nine-inning contest is slated for a 6 p.m. EDT first pitch and the doubleheader will get underway on Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT.
Lee moved on top 2-0 in the first inning but the Pioneers rallied back to tie the game at two in the bottom of the inning. Tusculum tallied two more runs in the bottom of the second, making it a 4-2 game and never trailed again.
The Flames cut the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fifth when Cam Suto's RBI single scored Ashton Simmons. The Pioneers came right back and tallied a single run in the bottom of the same inning to go up 5-3.
The margin reached 6-3 in the seventh before Lee made one final comeback attempt in the eighth. Brandon Daniels ripped a double off the right-centerfield wall and scored on a solid single by Matthew Batts.
Lee collected seven hits off five Pioneer pitchers. Batts was the only Flame with two hits and he also collected two RBI. Brock Sisson had a hit and RBI while Josiah Miller and Simmons had Lee's other hits. Dylan Standifer, who scored one of Lee's runs in the first inning after drawing a walk, was also robbed when he ripped a blistering line-drive that was pulled down by the leaping Tusculum shortstop Ben Scartz in the eighth inning.
Zach Wilson played a key role in the Pioneer victory. He had two doubles, a single, scored two runs and knocked in one. Murphy Flood collected two RBI while Luis Reyes added two hits and scored twice. Two big Pioneer runs came on walks with the bases loaded.
Tusculum used five pitchers in picking up the win. Luke Maicon (1-0) pitched the first four innings and allowed four hits and one earned run. He did not walk a batter. Jonathan Nelson followed for the next two frames. He surrendered two hits and an earned run, walking one and striking out four. Seth Willis picked up his fourth save of the year. He came on in the ninth inning and struck out two of the three hitters he faced.
The Flames used six pitchers in the loss. Freshman Zachary Lawson (0-2) got the start. In 1.1 innings he allowed five hits, two earned runs and walked three batters. Colt McKibben turned in a solid 2.1 innings. He gave up a pair of hits, no runs but walked three and fanned two. Tim Gooden, Cole Matthaidess, David White and Hunter Lane completed the mound work for Lee.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"Tusculum made some big pitches and plays when they needed them. We gave them too many freebies on the offensive side. A big base running mistake early cost us a run, but we struggled to string together hits offensively.
"We've got another huge GSC series on the road at UAH. It's always a tough place to play and they'll be eager to get headed back in the right direction so it'll take a big effort by our team."
