Lee erupted for a single run in the fifth inning and added two more in the sixth to earn a split with host North Alabama on Sunday afternoon on Mike Lane Field.
The Lions claimed a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the opener and Lee bounced back to find a way to win the nightcap, 6-3. The two clubs will tangle in the rubber game of the three-game series on Monday afternoon.
The victory improved Lee's overall record to 15-6 and 6-5 in the Gulf South Conference. North Alabama dropped to 13-7 but stands at 8-3 in conference play.
"It's a big day tomorrow," said Lee head coach Mark Brew. "We have a chance to win a big Gulf South series on the road. We need to compete with a little more urgency early in the game."
GAME 1 – North Alabama 3, Lee 2
After the two clubs battled in a scoreless tie for seven and one half innings, the Lions pushed across three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and then turned back a Lee comeback in the top of the ninth inning to win 3-2.
The Lions got the winning rally started with one out in the eighth. TJ Lockett doubled and Davis Elliott walked. Coach Brew quickly went to the mound and called on ace reliever Kit Larson. Logan Carter greeted Larson with a double that plated both Lockett and Elliott. Kyle Hubbuch pushed Carter to third with a ground out. A wild pitch scored Carter with what turned out to be the winning run.
The Flames fought back with two runs in the top of the ninth. With one out, Drew Johnson singled and later scored on a RBI one-base knock by Nate Wierzgac. Miguel Pimentel singled to put runners on first and third. Spencer Mossburg added another one-base hit to cut the margin to 3-2 and advanced Pimentel to third. However, the rally fell one run short when Dalton Ney skied-out to left.
Lee hurler Art Vidrio (4-1) suffered his first pitching loss of the year. He gave up only three hits and two earned runs in 7.1 innings. He struck out four and walked three. Tyler Joyner held the Flames to only five hits and two earned runs in 8.2 innings. He struck out 10 and walked only one. Channing Wall came on to record one out and pick up the save.
"We just couldn't create any offense until the ninth inning," explained coach Brew. "Joyner did a great job, but Art (Vidrio) battled him pitch for pitch. It was disappointing Art had to take the loss because he threw great. It was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel and they got the big swing of the bat late."
GAME 2 – Lee 6, North Alabama 3
The Lions jumped on top 2-0 over the first three innings but the Flames came fighting back with a single run in the fourth inning when Wierzgac ripped his fourth homerun of the year. Another four-bagger by Jeffery Chapuran (his second) tied the game at two.
Lee went on top for good in the sixth inning with two more runs. Geremy Walton started the uprising with a single and Wierzgac walked. After Walton advanced to third on a wild pitch, Pimentel's sacrifice fly to center plated Walton and Wierzgac later scored on the second wild pitch of the inning.
After the Lions cut the margin to 4-3 with a single run in the bottom of the sixth, the Flames put the seven-inning contest out of reach with two more scores in the top of the seventh. Chapuran was hit by a pitch and Tyler Payne walked. Johnson picked up a RBI with a one-base hit and Payne scored the final run of the game on a passed ball.
Rob Gustitus was the Lee starter and worked 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. Joe Parete came on for 1.2 innings and allowed an unearned run while striking out four and allowing no walks. Larson recorded his eighth save of the season by working the seventh inning and striking out the side.
"We have struggled in the seven-inning games all year, so I was glad to see us find a way to win," pointed out coach Brew. "Gustitus, Parete and Larson all did a great job on the mound and we got a nice spark at the bottom of the line-up by Jeffrey Chapuran. Nate (Wierzgac) had a big day at the plate also."
Wierzgac finished the afternoon with four hits, including a homer in seven trips to the plate. Pimentel was the only other Lee hitter with more than one hit in the two contests.