For the second time in as many starts, Lee University's Matthew Gilson was superb on the mound, as the Flames' baseball team (11-3, 1-0) took a 10-0 decision from Southern Wesleyan to open Southern States Athletic Conference Play.
"Matt pitched great for us today," Coach Mark Brew said of Gilson, who tossed seven innings of shutout ball. "He definitely had his best stuff out there."
Glison (3-0) allowed just three base runners, two on base hits and one on a walk, and he fanned five in the game. The Flames' offense came out on fire and staked Gilson to a 4-0 lead after just one inning of play. Taylor Comford highlighted the frame with a two-RBI single in his first at-bat since coming back from a hamstring injury.
"It was great to have Taylor back in the lineup today," Brew explained, "and once again, we were able to get the big inning. That is always key for us and we got a pair of four run frames today."
The Flames belted five doubles in the game, one each by Trey Burstrom (5), Phillip Johnson (2), Edgar Molina (7), Michael Brown (2), and Tanner Moore (4). Moore, Molina, and Comford each had a pair on knocks and multiple RBI in the game. Moore knocked in three and continues to pace the Flames with 20 RBI on the year, while Molina (10) and Comford (8) each drove in a pair. Trey Burstrom, who was batting second in the game with Jose Cuevas out with an injury, scored three times (11) and drove in one (7), and JJ Costantino recorded a pair of runs scored (13) and an RBI (7).
The Warriors threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning, getting runners to first and third with just one out, but Flames' reliever James Rechenbach caught a Brauncy Jenkins pop-up, and fired to Molina in time to double off Joseph Taylor and end the threat.
"We put all three phases of the game together today," Brew noted. "We haven’t been able to do that of late, but today we hit well, we pitched well, and played good defense. It was good to see that out of our guys today."
The two teams will wrap up their series on Saturday with a doubleheader, scheduled to begin at Noon.