PENSACOLA, Fla. – Lee (38-17) scored seven runs in the first four innings and turned away a late charge by top-seeded West Florida (40-14) to move within one win of claiming the South Region One title. The 10-8 victory over the Argonauts allows the Flames to await the winner of the West Florida and Delta State game being played on Saturday at 2 p.m. EST. Lee will face the winner of that game at 6 p.m. EST and if another game is necessary, it will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. EST
The Flames scored four runs in the second inning, added two more in the third and one more in the fourth to move out to a 7-1 lead. The Argonauts cut the lead to 7-2 in the fifth, but Lee came right back with three big runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 10-2 advantage.
Heading into the top of the eighth inning, West Florida would add a single run to make it a 10-3 game, but Lee starting pitcher Gage Shaver was over the 120-pitch mark and Coach Mark Brew went to his bullpen. The Argonauts staged a five-run uprising in the top of the ninth inning and forced the Flames to hold on for the victory.
Winning pitcher Shaver (7-2) allowed seven hits over eight innings and only two earned runs. He fanned four and walked one. Zach Tierney came on and allowed three hits and three earned runs. Mason Bratcher was called on for an inning. He gave up two earned runs and delivered a strikeout.
JJ Williams enjoyed one of his best games of the year with a pair of doubles, a homerun and three runs scored. Braden Gabel had three hits from his lead-off position and collected an RBI. Cody Turner and Nate Dunfee were key leaders. Turner knocked in two runs with two hits and scored once. Dunfee also had two hits, two RBI and scored two times.
Luke Collier joined the two-hit parade and tallied a run while Keilin Sanders got into the act in the second inning when he doubled home two runs with a two-base hit and also tallied a run. Landon Franklin and Nate Caraballo joined in Lee's 15 hit attack with one hit apiece and one run scored.
Trent Kelly and Greg Pettay gave the Argonauts fans a late thrill when each blasted two-run homers. Zack Stokes was the hitting star for the losers with four hits, including a double, an RBI and a run scored. Colton Dorsey (8-3) was the starting and losing West Florida pitcher. In two innings, he gave up five hits, four earned runs, walked three and struck out four. Four other Argo hurlers followed Dorsey to the mound.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"It was another tough win for us, but I'm proud of how we handled the adversity at the end. Shaver threw great and gave us all he had all night. The offense really stepped up big posting 10 runs against a really good West Florida staff. The bottom of the line-up had some big swings for us with Williams, Sanders and Dunfee. It's another big night on Saturday and we need to continue to play with the energy and aggressiveness we've been showing."
