Freshman Bailey Church smashed a walk off grand slam over the left field fence in game two to help the Lee Softball team complete a thrilling doubleheader sweep of Delta State on Saturday afternoon at Butler Field.
Church completed a five-run seventh inning rally to help the Lady Flames stun the Lady Statesmen and improve to 12-5 overall and 3-2 in the Gulf South Conference. Delta State stumbles to 7-9 and 1-4 in league action. Brooklyn Frazier hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game early in the seventh.
Taylor Moran tossed the final two innings in the circle and struck out two to earn her second victory of the season.
Mari Alex Sandridge (1-2) came on in relief and pitched five innings for the Lady Statesmen. She allowed five runs but only one was earned thanks to an untimely error in the final frame.
Stevie Baird got the Lady Flames going with a three-run home run to cap off a four-run second inning. Baird is now hitting .404 on the season and has thrived since being moved up to the leadoff spot by head coach Emily Russell.
Kayla Louie led off the final inning with a single and finished with two hits and two runs scored while Annabeth Pruett doubled in a run in the second and later scored on the Baird homer.
Abby McKinney earned the nod for the Lady Flames and worked 2.2 innings allowing four unearned runs. Hailey Clark allowed four hits and a run in 2.1 innings of relief before handing the ball to Moran.
"We had a lot of adversity today, some was self-inflicted, but we were able to fight through. We competed today and for that I am very proud," said head coach Emily Russell.
Bailie Springfield started for Delta State and lasted just 1.2 innings as she allowed four hits and four runs.
Carah Nunez drew an RBI walk in the second and added a double and a single to pace the Lady Statesmen offensively in game two. Kara Lane Nowell put Delta State up 5-4 with a run-scoring double in the fifth inning.
GAME 1 – LEE 10, Delta State 6
Leigh Beatenbough (5-3) worked around six errors and struck out 10 batters in six innings to lead the Lady Flames past Delta State, 10-6 in game one on Saturday.
Beatenbough walked just two batters and gave up five hits as she lowered her ERA to just 2.26 on the young season. Moran came on in the seventh inning to slam the door shut as she struck out a pair in her one inning inside the circle.
Baird led the way with three doubles and three RBI for the Lady Flames at the dish. Lee pounded out 10 hits and scored three runs in the first and fourth innings and four more in the fifth.
Moran followed with two hits while Courtney Crawford doubled and drove in two. Frazier doubled and scored twice and Zoe Miller went 1 for 1 with a single and two runs scored.
Taylor Johnson was charged with the loss and falls to 1-4 on the year. She relieved allowed seven runs in 4.1 innings. Brittany Taylor settled things down as she came on to pitch a scoreless 1.1 innings.
Jordan Jones supplied the lone extra base hit for the Lady Statesmen with an RBI double in the sixth. Jones would drive in two more runs back in the second inning on a single down the right field line. Chelsea Lamping and Nowell each scored two runs.