NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It is on to the Gulf South Conference tournament for the Lee baseball team after it took 2-of-3 from host Trevecca Nazarene University to win the final regular-season series. The Flames will be seeded second or third when they begin tournament play next weekend in Oxford, Alabama. The Delta State and Mississippi College series was delayed because of rain and will be completed on Sunday. The outcome of that series will determine where the Flames will be seeded in the tournament.
The Flames completed the regular season by winning 13 of their last 15 games and posted an outstanding 23-11 GSC mark and were 34-15 overall. However, Coach Mark Brew made it clear that all teams will be 0-0 when tournament play gets underway.
Game 1 – Lee 8, Trevecca 5
The Flames scored eight runs over the first two innings and then turned away rallies by the Trojans in parts of the next seven innings in winning their 13th game in their last 14 starts.
The long ball was the main feature of the victory as Isaiah French and Nate Caraballo belted three-run homers in the second inning to put Lee on top 8-1. The Flames never trailed and gained a 2-0 margin in the opening inning. Aiden McClary walked and Luke Collier put down a bunt that went for a base hit. French picked up his first RBI of the game when he singled up the middle to score McClary. Collier went to third on a wild pitch and made it a 2-0 game on a ground out by Cody Turner.
The explosion took place by the Flames in the top of the second after the Trojans had cut the lead to 2-1. It all started when Nate Dunfee and McClary singled. French stepped up and drilled his team-leading 11th homer of the season. The three-run shot quickly made it a 4-1 game.
The action continued as Turner walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and Landon Franklin followed with a free pass. It was Caraballo's turn to clear the bases with his three-run shot. His ninth four-bagger of the season gave Lee a commanding 8-1 advantage. The Flames never scored again as relievers Dawson Sweeney and Ryan Sweeney worked the final seven innings of scoreless five-hit baseball. Trojan starter Jonah Smithson (4-3) was charged with the loss.
Lee had 11 hits in the victory. French finished with two hits and four RBI. Turner doubled, had an RBI and scored once. Caraballo knocked in three runs and also singled while Dunfee was the other Flame with two knocks. He also tallied a run. Lee left 10 runners on base.
Gage Shaver (6-2) was the winning pitcher. The lefty hurled seven innings and scattered nine hits. He allowed five runs and four were earned. Shaver struck out five and walked three. Mason Bratcher came on for a solid 1.2 innings and surrendered one hit and walked two. He did not allow a run. Cody Turner recorded the final out and picked up his second straight save of the series.
Trevecca was led by a two-run homer by Noah Boughton. Ryan Moses had a pair of hits and scored two times while Cade Martin stroked a double, collected an RBI and scored one of his team's five runs. The Trojans finished with 10 hits and left nine men on base.
Game 2 – Trevecca 8, Lee 4
The Trojans turned the table on the Flames in the bottom of the third inning when Alex Fernandez ripped a grand-slam homer over the centerfield wall and Trevecca added an extra point in the frame to build a 7-1 lead over Lee.
The Flames pecked away and came up with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but could never make the comeback against the host Trojans, who moved to 19-14 in GSC play and 30-19 overall.
Lee managed nine hits in the loss. Turner continued his fine day at the dish with two hits, including a double and two RBI. Collier chipped in with two hits and an RBI while French and JJ Williams drilled doubles. Caraballo came on in a pinch-hit role and delivered his 10th homer of the year. Ryan Valdes and Braden Gabel collected a hit and scored a run.
Dylan Van Meeteren (6-2) delivered the homerun ball to Fernandez in the third inning and for one of the few times this season had to get help from the Lee bullpen. The right-hander gave up seven runs while relievers Zach Tierney, Alex Brew and Tyler Pickens surrendered only one run and allowed three hits.
Gabe Webster also homered for the Trojans and joined Fernandez in knocking in six of Trevecca's seven runs. Spencer Wilkins (5-2) worked six innings of the seven-inning contest. The right-hander surrendered seven hits and three earned runs. He fanned six and walked only one. Justin Lee came on for the final inning.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"It was a great series win for our team. It's tough to sweep a good team like Trevecca, and they threw extremely well in game two. Turner had another big day at the plate. Shaver, Bratcher and Turner got some big outs in game one. We will try and get some rest heading into conference-tournament week. We had a great regular season, but post season is what most teams are remembered for, so all teams will be 0-0 when we start next weekend."
