CLINTON, Miss. – The Lee University baseball team kept battling back but it wasn't enough to turn back the power of the top three hitters in the batting order for the Mississippi College team as they blasted ten hits, including seven extra-base knocks in an 11-7 victory over the Flames on Friday afternoon at Frierson Field.
The three-game GSC series will continue on Saturday with the first pitch in the scheduled doubleheader slated for 1 p.m. Friday's loss dropped Lee to 7-6 in conference play and 15-8 overall. The Choctaws improved to 9-4, 15-10.
The Flames grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second inning when freshman Casen Youngblood ripped his team-leading seventh home run of the year. In the third inning, JJ Williams doubled to give Lee a 3-1 lead but Mississippi College blasted their first homer of the day in the bottom of the third and cut the lead to 3-2.
Things continued to look good for the Flames in the fifth inning when Luke Collier stroked a two-base hit that scored Landon Franklin, who had earlier singled. The margin stood at 4-2 but the situation suddenly changed in the bottom of the inning.
The Choctaws got a single and JT Thigpen followed with a RBI triple. Will Langston put his team on top 6-4 with a two-run home run. The Flames battled right back and made it a 6-6 game in the top of the sixth inning. Aiden McClary and Braden Gabel singled. Keilin Sanders walked to load the bases and Franklin picked up an RBI the easy way with a free pass that scored McClary. Collier picked up an RBI with a ground out to make it a tie game.
The long ball hurt Lee again in the bottom of the sixth. Langston homered for his second time in the game and drove home Thigpen, who had earlier reached on a single. The Choctaws were on top 8-6. The Flames made it interesting with a single run in the top of the eighth when Sanders scored a run on a single by Isaiah French. However, the inning ended with the bases loaded and Lee trailing 8-7.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Choctaws put the contest out of reach and again it was the long ball doing the major damage. Thigpen reached on a one-base hit. Langston stroked a double and Alex Johnson got into the act with a three-run four-bagger making it a final 11-7 score.
Mississippi College outhit Lee 15-11. The top four hitters for the Choctaws scored 10 of their 11 runs and knocked in nine of their 11 runs. They also produced 11 hits. Thigpen had four hits, including a double and a triple and scored four runs. Langston had two homers, a two-bagger and four RBI while Johnson produced a homer and four runs batted in. Caleb Peterson pitched 5.1 innings for the Choctaws and allowed eight hits and five earned runs. Kamryn Carlisle (4-1) came on for two innings and got the win. He surrendered two hits and one earned run. Taylor Ballard was credited with the save. In 1.2 frames he allowed a hit and no earned runs.
Franklin, Collier, Williams and Gabel collected two hits apiece for the Flames. Collier and Williams banged out doubles. Collier knocked in a pair of runs. Youngblood had two RBI with his homer while Franklin, French and Williams collected Lee's other runs batted in.
Lee used four pitchers in the loss. Evan Bloomer started and worked the first 4.1 innings. He gave up nine hits and six earned runs. Mason Bratcher (1-2) was charged with the loss. In 2.2 innings, he gave up five hits and four earned runs. Alex Brew also entered and gave up a hit and an earned run while Coates Massey pitched the final inning. He did not allow a hit or an earned run, walking two and striking out two.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"It wasn't our best effort on the mound. We made too many mistakes and they capitalized all day. We kept fighting back but couldn't get any stops against them. We've got to simply play better overall tomorrow to find a way to get this series."
