TIGERVILLE, S.C. – Four walks in the first inning helped top-ranked North Greenville University post seven runs and hand visiting Lee University a 12-7 defeat at Ashmore Park on Tuesday afternoon. The win improved the Trailblazers to a 15-1 record and dropped the Flames to 9-6.
Lee returns to conference action on Friday and Saturday and will remain on the road at Auburn University at Montgomery. Friday's contest is slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch and Saturday's doubleheader gets underway at 2 p.m.
Lee starter Jax Howard (1-1), who is still battling back after undergoing arm surgery, walked two batters and was charged with three earned runs in the loss. Zach Lawson followed and gave up two more free passes and was charged with three earned runs. It was Nelson Smith who finally settled things down for the Flames. He worked 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit, did not walk a batter and struck out three. Matthew Delph followed and also slowed the Trailblazers scoring. He went two more innings, allowed three hits but only one earned run. Evan Bloomer turned in a solid performance. He worked a perfect inning. All totaled, Lee used seven pitchers in the loss.
After scoring seven runs in the first inning, North Greenville did not score again until the fifth. In the meantime, Lee battled back and cut the lead to 7-4 before the Trailblazers added a solo run in the fifth and three more in the sixth to salt the victory away.
JJ Williams homered and singled in driving in two runs for Lee. Luke Collier doubled and tripled. He scored once and collected a RBI. Ashton Simmons had two RBI and posted a run with his hit while Tucker Platt also doubled and drove in a run. Ryan Valdez collected a double and one of Lee's runs while Malachi Cloud singled and Levi Cloud tallied Lee's other run.
Matthew Albritton knocked in four runs for North Greenville with a two-base hit and a single. Tristan Salinas collected a pair of hits and tallied three runs. Jake Sears crossed home plate three times and singled while Landon Peavy posted two RBI with one hit.
The Trailblazers used nine pitchers in the mid-week contest. Cole Munhall (2-0) started and worked a pair of innings. He did not allow a run. No other North Greenville hurler allowed more than one run and Ian Squires was the only Trailblazer to give up more than one hit. All totaled, North Greenville finished with nine hits and Lee collected eight.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"Certainly not the way you want to start against a team as good as North Greenville, but once we got Nelson, Delph and Bloomer on the mound we played better. We have not proven ourselves to be a good road team yet, and we have a really tough series at AUM this weekend."
