The Lee University baseball team opened the 2017 season with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader split with Catawba College at Olympic Field. The Flames (1-1) won the opening game 6-0 with the Indians (2-1) winning the nightcap 2-1. The final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Catawba entered the weekend series ranked No. 21 in the Collegiate Baseball News (CBN) NCAA Division II National Poll and were No. 15 in the National College Baseball Writers Association rankings. Lee received votes in the CBN poll. Geremy Walton was Lee’s offensive leader. The senior finished the day 4-for-7 with a double.
“Overall, it was a good day with a great crowd,” said Lee head coach Mark Brew. “We have a big opportunity in front of us to take a series from a quality opponent.”
Catawba 2, Lee 1
The Flames pushed across their lone run in the first inning. Tyler Payne singled to left and moved to second on a Walton sacrifice bunt. Payne advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Peyton Meeker’s ground out to short.
A bases loaded walk in the top of the second inning evened the score for the visitors. Nick Coble delivered the eventual game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh.
“Our pitching was good enough, but we just couldn’t get the big hit at the plate,” admitted Brew. “We have to tip our caps to their pitchers who kept us off balance the whole game.”
Lee recorded four hits in the game, but left seven runners on base. Catawba stranded nine on base.
Jumpei Akanuma started and gave up four hits and one run in four innings of work. The junior from Kyoto, Japan, walked four and struck out two.
Jay Prior faced the minimum in the fifth inning and recorded a strikeout. Kit Larson pitched the final two innings. Larson was charged with the loss after surrendering one run on three hits and striking out three.
Luke Setzer tallied three of Catawba’s seven hits. He doubled to begin the seventh inning and scored the winning run. Kevin Acosta delivered two singles in the win.
Lee 6, Catawba 0
Art Vidrio gave up just three hits over seven innings and Joe Parete allowed just one more hit over the final two innings to combine for the shutout in the season opener. Both hurlers recorded four strikeouts, while Vidrio walked one batter. Vidrio earned the win and Parete was credited with a save.
“What a performance by Art and Joe,” said Brew. “They did an excellent job of pounding the strike zone and making quality pitches all nine innings.”
The Flames opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning by senior transfer Drew Johnson. Johnson finished the game with three runs scored.
Miguel Pimentel added to the lead with a two-run single in the fourth inning and another two-run single in the eighth. Pimentel supplied the final margin after racing to third following a failed pickoff attempt at first base and scoring on a passed ball.
“Defensively, Tyler Payne had that huge double play turn in the seventh inning to keep the shutout intact,” added the Lee skipper.
In the play, Payne ranged to his right, back-handed a ground ball up the middle and flipped it to Jordan Howard. Howard bare-handed the feed and made the throw to first base to complete the double play.
“Offensively, we had too many miscues running the bases, but I was really pleased with how we swung the bats throughout the game,” Brew summed up.
The Flames tallied seven hits in the opener. They left four runners on and had two runners caught stealing.