Lee Baseball Drops Series To Blazers

  • Saturday, March 25, 2017
Valdosta State pushed across three runs in the top of the 10th inning to claim the key Gulf South Conference win 5-2 and take the series, 2-1. The Blazers won the opening game on Friday at Olympic Field, 11-1 but the Flames came back to claim the nightcap 5-0.
 
Saturday’s loss dropped the Flames to 20-11 overall and 9-9 against GSC competition. The Blazers improved to 20-10 and 11-7.
 
“I was proud of the way our guys battled the entire weekend,” remarked coach Mark Brew after Saturday’s tough loss.
“We kept waiting for the big hit and it never came. Give Valdosta credit, they made some things happen in the 10th inning and were able to secure the win.”
 
Saturday, Game 3, Valdosta 5, Lee 2
The Flames out-hit the Blazers 13-11 but left 13 runners on base in Saturday’s gut-wrenching defeat. Valdosta scored two runs in the top of the first inning and did not score again until tallying three big runs in the top of the 10th.
 
The Flames scored a single run in the top of the third inning when Nate Wierzgac, who had two hits on the day, singled and later scored on the first of three hits by Drew Johnson. Lee tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Tyler Payne and Spencer Mossburg singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Peyton Meeker.
 
Lee left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth without a score and put two more runners on the base paths in the ninth, but again couldn’t push a runner across the dish.
 
The Blazers went to work in the top of the 10th when Chipper Andzel was hit by a pitch. David Wortham reached on an error and Clint Carr followed with his third hit of the day to drive home a run. Kendall Herron put down a perfect bunt to plate a second run and Tyler Homer recorded his second RBI of the afternoon with an infield out to second.
 
“I like the way Jumpei (Akanuma) gave us six solid innings after surrendering the two runs in the first inning,” noted Brew. Akanuma worked six innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, struck out five and walked two. Kit Larson came on 3.1 innings and was charged with the loss. He gave up four hits, one earned run, struck out four and walked one.
 
“Kit gave us excellent innings,” pointed out Brew. “We extended his role in an effort to find a way to win. Overall, our pitching was certainly good enough to win this afternoon.” Joe Parete finished the contest with 0.2 innings.
 
Valdosta used four hurlers. Troy Massaro pitched the first five innings and allowed eight hits and one earned run, striking out four and issuing no free passes. Roman Donofro followed for 2.2 innings and Beau Blair came on to pick up the pitching win. He hurled 2.1 innings, allowing one hit while striking out four Flames and walking one.
 
Game 2, Lee 5, Valdosta 0
Lee battled back from an opening game 11-1 (eight inning run rule) to win the second game of the Gulf South Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Olympic Field, 5-0.

The Flames looked like a different ball club in the second game of the doubleheader, thanks to another outstanding pitching performance by Rob Gustitus. For the second straight week, the lanky right-hander rescued the Flames after they had dropped the opening game of a GSC doubleheader.
 
Gustitus (3-1) worked six innings. He gave up only three hits, struck out eight and walked two batters, lowering his earned run average to 2.35. Joe Parete came on for the seventh inning and allowed one hit before getting Valdosta to hit into a game-ending double play.
 
"Rob has really picked us up for the second straight week," said coach Mark Brew after the victory. "He had battled a lot of adversity during his career but is as tough as any kid we have on the roster. When we needed a strong pitching performance, he gave it to us again this afternoon. You can see his confidence continuing to grow with each outing."
 
The Flames provided Gustitus with three big runs in the first inning. Spencer Mossburg reached on an error, Geremy Walton walked and Nate Wierzgac singled to load the bases. Jeffrey Chapuran followed with a RBI one-base knock and Drew Johnson pushed two more Lee runners across the plate with another single.
 
Lee put insurance runs on the board in the sixth inning. Chapuran reached on an error. Johnson followed with his second hit of the game. Peyton Meeker put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that was misplayed by the Blazers, allowing Chapuran to score. Dalton Ney picked up a RBI with a sac-fly to center.
 
Mossburg and Johnson paced the Flames with a pair of hits. Johnson helped to account for three of Lee's five runs with two RBI and a run scored. Mossburg, Walton, Wierzgac and Chapuran tallied Lee's other runs.
 
Dalton Murray was the only Valdosta player with two hits. Austin Hamilton (3-3) was the starting and losing Blazer pitcher. He hurled five innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, striking out five and walking two. Cooper Cain and Cody Harwell worked final inning for the Blazers.
 
Game 1, Valdosta 11, Lee 1
The Blazers collected 12 hits off four Lee pitchers to win the opener of the three-game series. Hunter Jones (4-1) pitched the complete eight innings and allowed the Flames just five hits. He struck out five and walked one.
 
Lee ace Art Vidrio worked 5.1 innings and took the loss. He allowed six hits, four earned runs, walking five and striking out two. "Art wasn't at his best today and Valdosta came right after us," said coach Brew after the first game loss. "We allowed them to get baserunners early and that's exactly what we couldn't do." Lee hurlers surrendered seven walks and five Blazers received free passes after being hit by pitches.
 
The Blazers scored two runs in the first inning. Lee cut the lead to 2-1 in the third but Valdosta stretched the lead with three more scores in the fourth inning, one run in the sixth and four runs in the seventh inning to put the contest completely out of reach.
 
The top of the Valdosta order had eight of their 12 hits. Kendall Herron, Ryan Slaughter, David Wotham and Luke Suchon had two hits each. They also scored four of the Blazer runs and knocked in five more.
 
Ney had a double and a single for Lee and he scored their only run. Walton also had a two-base hit, while Mossburg tripled. Jordan Howard collected the Flames other hits.
 
John Reese Gilmer followed Vidrio to the mound. He surrendered four hits and four earned runs. Christian Bokich hurled 1.1 innings. He allowed two hits, one earned run, struck out a pair and walked one. Winston Whitener came on for 0.1 innings and gave up a walk.
  
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