CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Lee University and visiting Union University split a doubleheader on Saturday at Larry Carpenter Stadium. The Flames won the series 2-1 after claiming the opening game of the series on Friday and the first game on Saturday (6-5) and dropped the finale 3-2.
With the split, the Flames are 5-7 in GSC play and 11-11 overall. The Bulldogs are 3-8, 8-12. Lee will travel to Carson-Newman on Tuesday for a single nine-inning game and then return home for a three-game GSC series with Mississippi College next Friday and Saturday.
Game 1 – Lee 6, Union 5
The Flames jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning and JJ Williams doubled and scored on a single by Luke Collier. Collier advanced to second on a throwing error by the Union catcher and scored on another error by the Bulldogs.
The visitors batted around in the third inning and took a 5-2 lead. Lee starting pitcher Colt McKibben ran into trouble and was relieved by Nelson Smith who had trouble finding the strike zone. McKibben was charged with five earned runs and Smith walked two batters before Ty Cobb became the third Lee pitcher in the inning.
Cobb did an outstanding job. He worked seven innings and allowed four hits, no earned runs, struck out seven and walked only one batter in picking up his first win of the season.
In the meantime, the Flames battled back and cut the 5-2 lead to 5-4 with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Williams was safe on an error. Collier had a one-base knock. Williams scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaiah French. Collier went to second on an error by the leftfielder and took third on a wild pitch. He scored on a one-base hit by Levi Cloud.
In the bottom of the eight Collier picked up his third hit of the day, a triple. He scored to make it a 5-5 game when French collected a RBI with a liner to leftfield. Levi Cloud was hit by a pitch, stole second and later scored what turned out to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
For the losers, Colby Davis had two hits and scored a run. Caleb Davis doubled while Carson Chavies plated a pair of runs with a hit and also scored once. Eli Snelson was solid on the mound for the Bulldogs for 7.1 innings. The Bulldog allowed six hits but only two earned runs. He walked four and fanned four and was charged with the loss.
Game 2 – Union 3, Lee 2
The Flames stranded 10 runners in the second-game loss. The Bulldogs got on the board in the first inning when Dyllon Barrett singled, Caleb Davis and Chavies were hit by pitches to load the bases, and Caleb Davis scored on a fielder's choice.
Lee tied the contest in the bottom of the first. Williams reached on a free pass and stole second. He scored on a RBI double by French. The inning ended with the bases loaded. It was the same story in the third inning when the Flames loaded the bases on three walks but could not score.
Lee went on top 2-1 in the fourth. Williams had a one-base hit, stole his second base of the game and scored Lee's second run of the contest on a RBI single by Collier. The Flames threatened in the fifth. Levi Cloud drew a walk and stole second. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brock Sisson but did not score after a strikeout and a fly out to left.
In the sixth inning the Bulldogs went on top 3-2. A free pass and a two-run homer by Alec Hardy turned out to be the winning blow. Lane Evans (1-0) came on in a relief role and was excellent in recording the win. In 5.2 innings he allowed just three hits and one earned run.
For the Flames, Will Baker (2-4) pitched well enough to win but was charged with the defeat. He hurled 5.1 innings and allowed five hits and three earned runs. Matthew Delph came on for 1.2 frames and gave up a hit and no runs.
French was the only Lee player with two hits, a single and a double. He also collected a RBI. Williams had one hit and scored twice. Collier continued his fine work with a single and a RBI. Levi Cloud and Ashton Simmons had Lee's other hits.
Hardy drove in all three runs for the Bulldogs. Barrett singled, Chavies doubled while Canyon Pace, Hudson Cepparulo and Will Allen Smith had the other Union hits.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"Our pitching was excellent this weekend. Cobb did a tremendous job in game 1 and Baker and Delph were good enough for us to get game 2. We just missed too many opportunities with runners in scoring position. We won the series and that's important, but we missed a chance to get that final game and those add up over the year."
