Stevie Baird fires from third base on Saturday. Both team’s wore special jerseys to raise awareness for breast cancer.
photo by Lee University
On a near picture perfect day for softball the Lee Lady Flames burned up the Union Bulldogs winning both games, 8-0 while allowing just five hits in 12 innings during Saturday’s doubleheader.
Leigh Beatenbough (13-4) pitched a complete game two-hitter in game one and Taylor Moran (9-3) followed her with a complete game three-hitter in the night cap to roll past the rival Bulldogs.
Courtney Crawford finished the day with five hits and five runs scored while Stevie Baird set the tone in game two with a three-run home run in the second inning.
All totaled Lee outscored the Bulldogs, 16-0 and out-hit the Jackson, Tenn. squad 22-5.
The win propels Lee to 28-11 and 15-8 in the GSC. Union loses its sixth straight contest while falling to 21-17 overall and just 6-17 in league play.
The Lady Flames will look for their third conference sweep of the year as they host the Bulldogs tomorrow at 2 p.m.
Prior to the contest former Lee softball player and coach Autumn (Willemsen) O’Bryan throw out the first pitch in honor of her mother who is fighting cancer. Both teams wore jerseys to honor Missy Frost, the head coach at U of Indy, who was diagnosed earlier in the fall with breast cancer. The slogan “Faith.Fight.Frost” was written across the back of the jerseys to show support for Missy and the 1 in 8 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Game 1 – Lee 8 Union 0 (6 innings)
Beatenbough dazzled in the circle over six scoreless innings to lead Lee to an 8-0 blanking of Union in Saturday’s opener. The junior worked around four walks and struck out six while allowing just two hits.
Crawford helped jump start the Lee offense in the first inning as she ripped an RBI triple to center field and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Abby McKinney to make it 2-0 after one.
Lee would tack on a single run in the fourth inning as Kayla Louie delivered a squeeze bunt to score Zoe Miller. Beatenbough would help her own cause in the fifth as she roped a run-scoring single down the right field line. Beatenbough finished with two hits in the contest.
Moran would cap off the run-rule victory with a two-run double to the right-center field gap.
Hannah Ridolfi (12-9) lasted just 1/3 of inning and was charged with the loss after giving up two runs on one hit. Gabby Morris pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief and allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out seven. Taylor Griffith was the third pitcher called to the circle as she gave up two hits and three runs.
Game 2 – Lee 8 Union 0 (6 innings)
Game Two was more the same as the Lee bats pounded out eight runs on 14 hits to back a sensational outing from Moran and shutout Union in back to back games.
Moran lowered her GSC-leading ERA to 1.05 as she hurled six innings of shutout ball allowing just three hits and one walk. The freshman struck out nine.
The Lady Flames scored five runs in the second frame which proved to be more than enough for Moran. Baird provided the big blow as she launched a three-run shot to right center for her fourth home run of the season. Brooklynn Frazier followed Baird’s long ball with a two-run triple to make it 5-0 Lee after two innings.
Union would put up zeroes over the next three innings but could never mustard any type of offense as Moran retired the last 10 batters in order.
The Lady Flames ended the contest with three runs in the sixth inning as they had six straight batters reach safely on five hits. Louie led things off with single and preceded to steal second. Baird drew a walk and Crawford reached on a bunt single to load the bases.
With the bags juiced, McKinney ripped an RBI single, Frazier followed suite and fittingly Moran ended things walk off single to left just like in game one.
Parker Davis (3-1) started for the Bulldogs and was chased in the second inning after allowing five runs on six hits. Ashley Graves was effective over three innings but was touched up for the final three runs in the sixth. She allowed seven hits and struck out two in 3 1/3 innings of work.