CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Nat Toups walked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to snap the ten-game losing streak for the Lee University softball team. With the bases loaded, Toups walked in Alyson Jarvi to give the Lady Flames a 4-3 win over the #4 Auburn University Montgomery. Lee salvaged one win in the three game series as AUM won the first game of the double header 13-4. Lee's record improved to 6-16 overall and 1-5 in Gulf South Conference action. The Lady Flames will be back in action on Wednesday, March 4 as they will host Carson Newman University.
GAME 1
AUM jumped on the board in the top of the first as they had two hits and took advantage of an error and scored a run. The Lady Flames answered in the bottom of the first. Eva Armstrong walked and then Hailey Simco hit a two-run home run to lead 2-1.
AUM retook the lead in the second. Three hits plated two runs and the Warhawks led 3-2. Aum broke the game open in the fourth. Five hits and an error brought five runs home. The inning was capped off by a three-run home run from Rebecca Komers. The Warhawks had one more run in the fifth taking advantage of two hits and another error to make it a 9-2 game.
The Lady Flames got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Simco singled to lead off the inning, then Sadie Winsett singled. A flyout from Hayden Gardner advanced both runners. Then Tenslee Wilson doubled to score the final two run for Lee. AUM scored the final four runs of the game in the top of the seventh. Four more hits and an error brought the runs in.
AUM had 16 hits in the 1304 win while Lee had seven hits. Simco had three hits for Lee and two RBI. She was the only player with multiple hits in the game.
Sadie Winsett took the loss for Lee. She threw five innings and gave up nine runs with two strike outs. Gardner threw two innings and gave up four runs on four hits.
GAME 2
AUM scored in the top of the first once again. Chloe Bayens singled, stole a base then then scored on a ground out from AUM to make it 1-0.
Lee tied the game in the bottom of the second when Alyson Jarvi hit a solo home run. It was her eighth home run of the season.
AUM retook the lead in the fourth. Kharis Rhine doubled and then Chloe Hollon singled to bring Rhine home.
AUM scored the third run in the fifth inning. Baynes tripled and then Komers walked. AUM scored on a double steal when Komers stole second and Baynes stole home.
Lee tied the game in the sixth. Eva Armstrong singled and then stole second base. Sadie Winsett followed that up with a walk. Gardner singled to score Armstrong and Winsett advanced to third. Winsett was caught at home base trying to steal to be the second out of the inning. Reese Haun pinch ran for Gardner and she tied the game on a Addi Lewis single.
In the top of the seventh, AUM threatened to take the lead, but Winsett robbed Olivia Watkins of a home run when she caught it over the fence in left field.
Neither team really threatened to score again until the bottom of the ninth. Jarvi walked and was followed up by an Addison Emmerson single. A Madison Pinzon single loaded the bases and then Toups won it with a bases loaded walk.
AUM outhit Lee 9-7. Baynes had five of the hits for AUM. Seven different players had a hit for Lee with none getting multiple. Four different players had an RBI.
Kaylee Underwood started for Lee in the circle. She threw four and two -third innings. She gave up three runs on six hits with two strikeouts. Abigail Welbaum earned her first win in relief. She threw four and one-third innings. She did not give up a run, allowed only three hits, and had four strikeouts.
Coach Emily Russell's Thoughts:
"It's been tough. We are limited with are pitching staff right now. Kaylee and Abigail really went all in for game three. We've had a tough road schedule so far. There have been a couple of games that we could have won, but the team has shown up the right way. They weren't defeated and have responded. They have been working hard to get better."
