CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Lee baseball team improved to 5-0 with a pair of wins over visiting Tiffin University (Ohio) on a cool Saturday afternoon at Larry Carpenter Stadium (Olympic Field). The Flames won the first game in a 13-3 seven-inning, run-rule game and then came back to win the second contest 8-3. The two clubs will play a single nine-inning game beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Game 1 – Lee 13, Tiffin 3
With Luke Collier leading the way, the Flames started slowly but picked up speed in the fourth inning and then put an end to the contest with five runs in the seventh inning. Collier finished with three hits, including a triple. He drove in two runs and scored five of Lee's 13 runs.
Cody Turner also enjoyed a big first game. He recorded four runs batted in and blasted a long home run. He finished with two hits and scored a pair of runs. Freshman Cason Youngblood also ripped a long ball in the seventh inning. He had two hits and crossed the plate twice. Braden Gabel had a hit and tallied twice while Robert Hicks came on as a pinch hitter, collecting a base hit and a RBI.
The Flames used a pair of hurlers in the win. Evan Bloomer started and was credited with the victory. He worked 5.2 innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, striking out six and giving up no walks. Mason Bratcher hurled one perfect inning and fanned one.
The Dragons finished with six hits. Brayden Clark stroked a three-run homer in the sixth inning that scored Griff Cady and Michael Patellis. Tiffin used six pitchers in the loss. Brandon Swope started and pitched two innings. Austin Guerra came on and was charged with the loss after giving up four earned runs.
Game 2 – Lee 8, Tiffin 3
The Flames took advantage of a pair of singles and three straight walks in the first inning. Ryan Valdes topped off the four-run inning with a two-run one-base knock to send Lee out to a 4-0 lead.
Valdes and Collier led Lee with a combined four hits and five RBI in the win. Valdes put together a double and a one-base knock. He also drove in three runs. Collier continued to swing the hot bat. He blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning. When the contest was completed the Lee shortstop had two hits and tallied two runs to go along with his long ball.
Turner added a pair of one-base hits and scored a run while Landon Franklin had a hit and a run scored. Isaiah French had an unusual day in both games. He walked three times, was hit by a pitch, reached on two errors and scored two runs in the second game. This all coming without a base hit. Aiden McClary got into the act with a two-base hit and a run scored.
Gage Shaver started and pitched 3.2 innings. He gave up five hits and three earned runs, striking out five and walking three. Cason Engert came on for 1.2 frames and picked up the win. He allowed a pair of walks and fanned one. Bryce Hawkins worked the final two innings and did not allow a hit. He did give up three walks but fanned three.
Julian Hernandez and Luke Westerman had two hits apiece for the Dragons. Hernandez, Gavin Marceric and Adam Deitschel picked up the RBI in the loss. Johnathon Ray was the Tiffin starter and losing pitcher. He hurled four innings and allowed six hits and seven runs. Ryan Birch and Hayden Busch came on for one inning each.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"I was most pleased with how we handled the long, cold day. Bloomer and Bratcher were excellent in game one, and Shaver, Engert, and Hawkins did a solid job in game two. But we need to do a better job in the future of throwing strikes with the lead. We were able to put together some big innings offensively. We were able to have some big double play balls in that first game that kept them from gaining any momentum. We'll get a short rest and be back at it tomorrow in what we hope will be a better day temperature wise."
