CLEVELAND, Tenn.-After being in command for eight innings, the Lee University baseball team had to turn away a rally by visiting Delta State University on Friday evening and post a 9-6 Gulf South Conference victory. It was Senior Night at Larry Carpenter Stadium and the Flames improved to 19-6 in GSC play and 32-12 overall. The Statesmen stand at 16-9, 25-17.
The three-game series will continue on Saturday with a doubleheader. Military Appreciation Day is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. and the first pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Military veterans from around the Tri-State area will be honored before the game, free food and prizes will be available.
Jack Nedrow recorded his ninth victory of the season without a loss. He pitched eight innings, allowing eight hits, two earned runs, walking three and striking out six. Hunter Lane and David White came on and ran into trouble before Tim Gooden recorded a key strikeout and collected his fourth save of the season. Shortstop Luke Collier made a tremendous catch in the same frame that also prevented the Statesmen from scoring two runs.
Lee jumped out to a 5-0 lead with two runs in the second inning and three more in the third. Delta State cut the margin to 5-1 in the sixth inning on a long homerun by Dylan Coleman. The Flames came right back with three runs in the bottom of the inning and increased the lead to 8-1. The margin grew to 9-1 before the Statesmen scored a solo run in the top of the eighth to trim the lead to 9-2 and then staged the big four-run rally in the top of the ninth.
Riley Black and Brantley Cutler were the top hitters for the Flames. Black had three hits in five plate appearances. His single in the second inning scored a run. He knocked in two more with a base hit in the third and added two RBI to his total in the sixth with another one-base knock. He also scored two runs. Cutler ripped a single to drive in a run in the second. He scored a run after a double in the sixth and came back with a booming triple and tallied his second run of the contest in the seventh.
Dylan Standifer, Brandon Daniels, Matthew Batts, Josiah Miller, Luke Collier and JJ Williams also hit safely in the win. Collier doubled, drove in a run and scored once. Cam Suto and Williams had one RBI apiece. All totaled, the Flames collected 12 hits.
Hayden Cooper collected two doubles, a single and knocked in two runs to lead the Statesmen. Wes Warnock followed with two hits and two RBI. Dylan Dendy was the only other Delta State player with two hits and Taylor Woodcock chipped in with a two-base hit and scored a run. All totaled, the Statesmen had 11 hits and took advantage of six walks.
Logan Eldridge (3-5) was the starting Statesmen pitcher and was charged with the loss. He worked five innings and surrendered 10 hits and eight earned runs. Jackson Wilson was the last of four pitchers called on by Delta State and he fanned three of the four batters he faced.
