CLEVELAND, Tenn. –The Lee University softball team split a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon with the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Lee won game one 7-5 before dropping the second game 6-3. In game one, senior pitcher Natalie Pruitt Geesey went the entire game and earned her sixth win of the season. Lee's record went to 8-4 overall and 1-3 in GSC play. UAH's record is now at 10-7 and 4-1 in conference action.
The two teams will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday, February 23 at 1 PM at Butler Field.
Game 1
Lee got on the board in the bottom of the first when Rylie Goodridge brought Alexa Scalzo. Scalzo had gotten on base after a dropped fly ball. In the bottom of the second, Lee doubled the lead thanks to a solo home run from Alyson Jarvi. Lee scored its third run in the bottom half of the third. Hailey Simco reached on another error from the UAH shortstop. After another Goodrdige hit, Javaria Smith drove in Simco to make it 3-0.
UAH took the lead in the top of the fourth. They used three hits and two errors to score four runs and take a 4-3 lead. Maddie Cartron hit a solo home run to start the inning. The next run a couple of moments later on an obstruction call. Sadie Thompson scored when Simco was called for blocking the plate. Back-to-back errors from Lee allowed the last two runs of the inning to come home.
Lee responded in the bottom of the fourth with four runs of their own. After two outs, Ava Perkins came up to bat. She had two strikeouts and then UAH missed getting a foul ball to keep her at bat alive. The next pitch she hit a solo home run to right center field and tied the ball game at 4-4. The very next batter gave Lee the lead once again, Scazlo smoked one to left field over the fence and Lee led 5-4. Ana Macha then singled and stole second base. Simco brought her home with a double. Simco then scored when Goodridge had her third hit of the game and Lee led 7-4.
Cartron hit another solo home run for UAH in the top of the fifth and that was the last run of the game. Lee only got one base runner on the last two innings. UAH got two base runners on base in the top of the seventh, but Cartron hit into a double play as Jada Henderson was forced out at second and was called for interference to end the game.
Pruitt Geesey threw all seven innings in the win. She gave up five runs with only three earned on eight hits. She had one walk and one strikeout. For UAH, Megan Schurtz threw six innings and gave up ten hits while striking out three.
Goodridge was 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. She was the only Lady Flames to have more than one hit in the contest.
Game 2
UAH struck early in game two. The Chargers used three hits to score two runs in the top of the first. They added a third run in the top of the second. They scored their last three runs of the game in the top of third. Four hits and two errors brought the three runs across for UAH. Lee did turn a double play to end the third.
The Lady Flames got on the board in the bottom of the third when Scalzo doubled to bring Bella Galloway home. That was the only run of the inning as Lee left the bases loaded. Scalzo scored the second run of the game in the bottom of the fifth when she stole home.
Lee got the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Macha drove Perkins home. However, Lee left two on base when the game ended.
Madison Barnett got the started for Lee and received the loss. She fell to a 1-3 record. She gave up eight hits and six runs while striking out two. Layne Bailey in relief threw four and two-third innings and gave up four hits. Katie Bracken went to 4-3 on the season for UAH as she threw 158 pitches. She gave up three runs on eight hits while striking out six.
Scalzo was the only player with multiple hits with three and also had an RBI and a run scored.
