The Lee University baseball team split the first two of a four-game series with Iowa Wesleyan College Friday afternoon at Olympic Field, winning game one 7-0 and losing the nightcap 2-1.
The Flames (12-4) used a six-run second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Michael Brown, to open a 7-0 lead.
Lee pounded out eight hits and took advantage of two Tigers’ errors. Max Harvell was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Chris Grayson was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Seth Walker and Joe Ramirez each had run-scoring singles.
Shay Crawford allowed just one hit in seven innings to record the shutout and improve his record to 3-0. Crawford walked three and struck out 13 Iowa Wesleyan batters.
Iowa Wesleyan (3-4) garnered their lone hit with a Michael Mendoza double in the third inning.
Jansel Encarnacion (1-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs (six earned) in four innings of work. Encarnacion walked five and struck out three.
Taylor Hadfield and Rickey Cristou each pitched one no-hit inning in relief.
In the second game, Lee once again pushed a run across in the first inning when Brown singled to score Jonathan Clark from second.
That score held up for Lee until Iowa Wesleyan broke through to plate two unearned runs in the sixth inning to provide the eventual game-winning runs.
Maxx Catapano (1-2) was the hard-luck loser. The senior transfer from Bellevue University allowed five hits, walked two and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings pitched.
Kris Hall came on in relief and held the Tigers hitless for the final 1 1/3 innings. Hall walked one and struck out one.
Jay Olson was the leading hitter for Iowa Wesleyan with two singles, but Marco Prieto came through with the big two-run single that plated the tying and winning runs.
Jorge Martinez (1-0)went the distance for the win. Martinez scattered five hits, allowed one run, walked one and struck out three.
Lee and Iowa Wesleyan will tangle again on Saturday at Olympic Field. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at noon.