The Lee baseball team battled back from behind to win the opening game of a Sunday Gulf South Conference doubleheader, 8-6 and then coasted to a 9-0 victory over visiting Mississippi College in the second game of the twinbill.
The victories improved Lee’s overall record to 15-7-1 and evened its GSC mark to 6-6-1. Mississippi College dropped to 7-13 overall and 2-11 in conference play. The Flames will go after the series sweep at Olympic Field on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m.
“This was the first great weather day we have enjoyed this year,” noted coach Mark Brew as his team and their relatives (Parents Day) gathered.
“The ball was really flying. Being able to get big innings was a key to our day offensively. I like the way we are swinging the bats and hopefully that will propel us into tomorrow.”
GAME ONE – Lee 8, Mississippi 6
The Choctaws wasted no time in jumping out to a 3-0 lead after 3 ½ innings. The Lee bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth and the Flames never trailed again.
Trent Hill singled to get the fourth inning rally underway. Ben Holland followed with a walk and MJ Brown quickly tied the contest at three with a three-run bomb over the left-field wall.
The inning continued when Chris Adams delivered a one-base hit. Josh Tate pushed Adams to second with a sacrifice bunt and Cameron Scott’s ground out to first pushed Adams over to third. Andres Nelo displayed his skills with a bunt single that allowed Adams to score the go-ahead run.
After scoring four runs in the fourth, the Flames added three big insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brown started things with a single and with one out, Tate delivered a one-base knock and Brown scored on a throwing error. Scott ripped a double down the left-field line advancing Tate to third base. Nelo delivered a sac fly to left, scoring Tate and Nate Wierzgac climaxed the three-run frame with a RBI single.
Mississippi College fought back with a single run in the eighth and got even closer with two more runs in the ninth. All totaled, the Choctaws out-hit the Flames 12-11. Lee was guilty of three errors and the Mississippi club committed two.
Nelo paced the Lee hitters with three hits, two RBI and a run scored. Wierzgac and Brown had two hits apiece. Hill, Adams, Tate and Scott posted one hit and Brown added two runs to his excellent day of work.
“MJ Brown's big three-run homer really got us going in the fourth,” added Brew. “Nelo had a great game from the leadoff spot. We overcame some defensive miscues and I was proud of how we responded after getting down 3-0.”
The Choctaws banged out a pair of homers, a triple and a double. Cotton Carver and Caleb Upton delivered the jack-shots and Upton was also a perfect 4-of-4 at the plate. Akiko Thompson joined Logan Farrell with doubles. Toler Robinson also collected three hits.
Dustin Lawson (2-1) worked 7 1/3 innings. He scattered 10 hits while allowing only one earned run. The senior right-hander struck out seven and walked one to earn the pitching win. Ryan Zimmer hurled 1 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, two earned runs, struck out two and walked one. After issuing a pair of walks, Hill closed the deal in the top of the ninth inning and picked up his first save of the year.
“They knocked Dustin around early, but I was really proud of how he competed throughout the game,” said Brew. “He minimized free bases with only one walk and found his slider late which allowed him to pitch deeper into the game.”
Brooks Fortenberry was the starting and losing Choctaw pitcher. Over seven innings, he allowed 10 hits, seven earned runs, struck out six and walked one.
GAME TWO – Lee 9, Mississippi 0
The Flames also used a pair of big innings in the second contest. They put three runs on the board in the third inning and salted the victory away with six runs in the fourth.
Hill (5-2) went back to the mound and was in total command for five innings. He gave up only one hit, struck out seven and walked four. Logan Campbell and Carlos Ditren pitched the sixth and seventh innings. Campbell did not allow a hit and Ditren surrendered one base knock and walked one.
“Hill did a good job on the mound limiting them to one hit after Mississippi College had a big offensive game in the opener. Our defense was much better in game two,” praised Brew.
Holland continued to display his hitting power by ripping a home run and stroking a double in three trips to the plate. He finished with three RBI and scored a pair of runs. Wierzgac doubled and singled, tallied twice and knocked in two runs. Brown continued his hitting surge with a double, two RBI and one run scored.
Zack Zyburt got the start in left field and collected two hits and crossed home twice. Nelo and Hill produced hits in the win. Nelo scored a run and Hill knocked in another.
“The third and fourth innings were one of the more impressive performances I can remember by our team offensively,” injected Brew. “We really had a great approach at the plate and hammered some balls, led by Holland's huge swing to put the game out of reach.”
The Choctaws got only two hits off three Lee hurlers and Hunter Hall collected both of those. At the same time, Jake Fraze started for the Mississippi team and took the loss. He allowed seven hits, seven earned runs, walked two and struck out one. Wesley Wilkinson pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.