HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The 15th-ranked Lee University baseball team turned away a rally in the third game of the three-game series by host University of Alabama in Huntsville on Saturday afternoon and completed the sweep of the Chargers. The Flames claimed the opener 15-8 and the nightcap in extra innings 11-8.
Lee improved to 14-4 in GSC play and 25-9 overall. The Chargers slipped to 4-14, 16-18. The Flames will return home and host Trevecca Nazarene University at Larry Carpenter Stadium on Tuesday at 6 p.m. EDT.
Game 1 – Lee 15, UAH 8
Led by 10 hits, eight RBI and six runs by the top three hitters in the batting order, the Flames sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning and tallied seven runs.
It all began with a double by Dylan Standifer and a two-run homer by Cam Suto. Brandon Daniels followed with a one-base hit and Josiah Miller collected an RBI with his base hit. Standifer got into the act again by ripping his second two-base hit of the inning that scored Miller.
The lead grew to 12-1 in the seventh. JJ Williams stroked a solo homer. Standifer and Suto reached with singles before both scored on a double by Daniels.
Standifer finished with a pair of doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Suto also had four hits to go along with his homer. He scored three times and drove in three. Miller homered, drove in three runs and also crossed the plate three times. Luke Collier blasted a four-bagger and scored two of Lee's 15 runs.
Keegan Gagliardo (5-0) pitched the first five innings and recorded the victory. He allowed two earned runs, struck out six and walked three. Hunter Lane followed for 2.2 innings. He gave up four hits, three earned runs, walked three and fanned two. Colt McKibben finished the afternoon with 1.1 frames. He surrendered three hits and three earned runs.
Merik Carter had a homerun and two doubles for the Chargers. Caleb Mahan also collected three hits while Presley Walker joined in with three hits and three RBI.
The Chargers used four pitchers in the loss. Will Tarpley (2-2) pitched six innings and gave up eight hits and seven earned runs. He struck out eight and walked four.
Game 2 – Lee 11, UAH 8
The nightcap was scheduled for seven innings but went into two extra frames when the Chargers fought back by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the contest at eight.
The Flames were forced to survive and sent the contest into the eighth after the Chargers loaded the bases and had the winning run on third base with only one out in the bottom of the inning. A double play sent the battle into the ninth and gave Lee new life.
In the ninth, JJ Williams was placed on second as the courtesy runner. He was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Collier. Riley Black and Miller were intentionally walked to load the bases. Ashton Simmons promptly delivered the big hit, a two-run single that scored Black and Williams. Luke Hughes put down a bunt that scored Miller.
The Flames jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the second game before UAH fought back. Hughes and Collier blasted homeruns in the win. Collier finished with two hits and four RBI. Hughes also collected three runs batted in. Suto, Daniels, Williams and Brantley Cutler had two-base hits as Lee collected 13 hits in the game.
Standifer had two hits. Williams added a single to go with his double and three runs scored. Daniels was the only other Flame with more than one hit.
Lee got a solid four-inning pitching performance from Nelson Smith. He allowed just one hit, three earned runs, walked three and struck out four. Cole Matthaidess came on for 1.1 innings. He allowed two hits and a pair of earned runs. Tim Gooden (1-1) got credit for the win. He was called on to go 3.2 frames and gave up five hits and two earned runs.
Mahan and Will Noles homered and drove in two runs each for the Chargers. A big key for the Lee pitching staff was ending a 21-game hitting streak by UAH's Carter.
The Chargers used three pitchers. Carson Herring was called on in the fourth inning and gave his club four innings of excellent work, allowing just four hits and one earned run. Tanner Giles (1-2) followed for 1.1 innings and was tagged with the loss.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"What a way to finish the weekend! It took the entire roster and some huge pitches by Timmy Gooden and a huge swing by Ashton Simmons.
"Also, we made some big defensive plays and our coaching staff of Kaleb (Schmidt), Jorge (Saez) and Thomas (Zazzaro) helped pullout some big strategy plays late.
"I'm really proud of this team. You never want to close out a game like that, but they showed a lot of grit getting out of innings and battling back offensively. Our offense had a huge weekend and I thought our pitching staff stepped up with the absence of Jack Nedrow."
