DAHLONEGA, Ga. – After a pair of gut-wrenching defeats to the University of Montevallo this past weekend, the Lee baseball team climbed off the deck and defeated the 10th-ranked and host University of North Georgia 8-6 on Tuesday afternoon. The huge win improved the Flames to 21-13 overall while the Nighthawks slipped to 28-9.
Lee will challenge another tough opponent this weekend when they travel to Pensacola, Fla. and face the University of West Florida in a three-game GSC series. Friday's action is slated for 6 p.m. and Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
A young left-handed pitcher, a veteran hitter and the bottom three batters in the Lee lineup, helped propel the win over the Nighthawks. Zach Tierney (1-0) came on in relief in the first inning and was credited with the win. The lefty gave the Flames a badly needed four innings of work. He allowed only four hits, no runs, walked one and struck out one.
Lee used three pitchers the rest of the way. Landon Nease hurled an inning of scoreless ball and Tyler Pickens came on for the eighth and ninth innings. He surrendered a pair of hits and one earned run, picking up his first save of the year.
Luke Collier stayed hot at the plate. The senior blasted his eighth homerun of the year. He also collected a pair of doubles and knocked in two runs. On the season, he leads the team in RBI with 47 and runs scored with 49.
Hitters seven, eight and nine in the Lee batting order produced seven hits, scored four runs and collected a pair of RBI. Braden Gabel was the leader with three base hits. He had an RBI and crossed the plate once. JJ Williams ripped his 11th double of the year. He finished with two hits and also an RBI and a run scored. Keilin Sanders got into the act with two knocks and two scores.
All totaled, Lee finished with 15 hits in the contest. Landon Franklin has been heating up since being moved out of the leadoff spot. He homered in the top of the sixth inning and finished with two hits. Aiden McClary had a hit, RBI and a run scored while Isaiah French tallied a hit and knocked in two runs.
The Flames trailed 2-0 after the first inning. They cut the margin to 2-1 in the top of the second when Casen Youngblood doubled and scored on a single by Williams. Lee tied the game in the fifth inning. Sanders singled to center, stole second and scored on French's one-base hit.
The top of the sixth was huge for Lee when they scored five runs and took a 7-2 lead. Franklin started the frame with his four-bagger. Williams collected a double. Gabel knocked in a run with a one-base hit. McClary scored Gabel with a hit and Collier's two-base hit plated Sanders, who had earlier singled. French picked up the final RBI of the rally on a ground out that scored McClary. The insurance run came in the eighth on Collier's homer.
The Nighthawks had nine hits. Brady Skipper homered, posted a pair of RBI and also scored a couple. Ben Hamacher and Jake Streeter doubled. Streeter finished with two hits, and Hunter Thompson also had two knocks in the loss. North Georgia used five pitchers. Rhaylin Carvajal came on in the fifth inning. He retired only one batter but gave up four hits and four earned runs while being charged with the loss.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"It was a big road win for us against a really good North Georgia team. My hats off to the pitching staff who pitched well against a really good line up. Zach Tierney gave us a huge lift early with some big outs and Landon Nease and Tyler Pickens pitched well also. Our offense was able to break through against some really good bullpen arms. It's another big weekend as we travel to Pensacola."
