Facing a familiar foe the Lee softball team dropped a pair of games to rival Shorter University on Saturday afternoon in Gulf South Conference action.
The Lady Flames (13-15, 6-8) comeback effort came up short in the opener as they fell 5-3 to the Lady Hawks (21-9, 11-4). In the nightcap Shorter used dominating pitching and a big inning to top Lee 7-1.
The Lady Flames will try and salvage the final game of the three-game set tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
GAME ONE
The opener of Saturday's twin bill started with a bang offensively for both clubs.
Ana Coscorrosa opened things up with a three-run homer for the Lady Flames. The senior finished a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and a run scored.
Not to be outdone Shorter's Ericka Bynum delivered a three-run blast of her own to tie things up at 3-3.
The Lady Hawks would add a pair of runs in the third inning to take a 5-3 advantage. Jackie Castaneda scored on a wild pitch followed by a sacrifice fly from Christina Ezell. The Home team would put things out of reach with two more runs in the sixth.
Lee mounted a comeback attempt in the seventh. Dominique Hannah tripled to left scoring Lexie Dean. Coscorrosa added her fourth RBI of the contest on a single up the middle to score Hannah. The rally would end there however as Shorter starter Ezell would come back to retire the side.
Angie Hughes (7-7) started and worked all six innings for the Lady Flames. She gave up seven runs on nine hits. The sophomore walked three and struck out five.
Ezell also pitched a complete game. The Shorter ace yielded five runs on six hits. She walked five but recorded 10 strikeouts.
GAME TWO
The Lady Flames would strike first in the nightcap thanks to a run-scoring single from Ana Coscorrosa. From there Shorter starter Maddie Bray locked in giving up just one run on eights over the full seven innings of work to earn to guide The Lady Hawks to the 7-1 victory.
Lee starter Hailey Clark breezed through the first three innings of the contest until running into trouble in the fourth inning. The Lady Hawks would chase Clark after loading the bases on a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch. The freshman was charged with three runs on four hits in three-plus innings of work.
Coach Emily Russell would go to the bullpen and call on game one starter Angie Hughes with the bases loaded and nobody out. Maggie Meachum would greet Hughes with a two-run double to put the home team up for good. Morris would later walk to plate a run before a two-run single by Bynum capped the five-run explosion.
Hughes worked the final three innings in relief giving up four runs on four hits. She walked three and struck out a pair.
Bynum anchored the offense attack for Shorter finishing 2-for-4 with four RBI. K. Cooper also added a pair of hits while Meachem scored a run and drove in two.
Lexie Dean added two singles for the Lady Flames and joined Coscorrosa as the only players with multiple hits. Rachel Polacek, Holley Gray, Annabeth Pruett and Qiley Lewis would also register singles to round out the eight-hit performance.
The Lady Flames left 11 runners on base compared to just seven stranded for Shorter.
ROME, Ga. – Andres Nelo delivered a game-winning three-run home run in the sixth inning to give Lee University baseball a Gulf South Conference doubleheader split. Shorter won 6-3 in the opener and the Flames held on for a 4-3 game two win at Shorter’s Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex.
Lee (20-9, 8-6 GSC) and Shorter (8-19, 5-10 GSC) will battle once again on Sunday. The series finale is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
“We need to come out and do some positive things early tomorrow,” said Lee head coach Mark Brew. “We scored in the first inning in both games today, but couldn't continue that momentum.”
Lee 4, Shorter 3 (Game 2)
Derrick Pitts plated Siosi Poti with an RBI single just three batters into the game. Shorter took advantage of a Lee error to tie the game in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Dyland Riner. Lee’s at bat in the sixth began with two straight fly outs before Zacary Hawkins and Blake Ray delivered back-to-back singles to set the stage for Nelo’s first home run of the season.
The Hawks closed the gap in the next frame with a two-run shot by Bryan Mathews and threatened again in the seventh. Shorter had runners at first and second with one out when Grayson Bailey relieved Jeremy Bales and induced a game-ending double play.
Nathan Wierzgac tallied two of Lee’s eight hits. Josh Silver and Jordan Stewart also singled in the win.
“Nelo had a huge swing in the sixth with the three-run home run,” said Brew. “He had a very good day battling through at bats in the game. We had several hard-hit balls, but Shorter's center fielder did a great job tracking down some potential doubles.”
Dustin Lawson was tabbed for three runs (two earned), five hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. Lawson (4-1) struck out two Shorter batters.
Bales gave up two hits and walked one in one inning of work. Bailey faced one batter to record his first save of the season.
Justin Machado (1-5) received the loss. He gave up four runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out one in six innings.
Shorter 6, Lee 3 (Game 1)
Lee took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Shorter scored the next six runs to carry a 6-1 lead after five innings. The Flames added solo runs in the seventh and eighth innings for the final 6-3 margin.
Pitts was the offensive leader with a 2-for-3 performance, including a double. He walked twice and scored a run. Silver delivered an RBI double and scored once.
The rest of Lee’s eight hits came from Poti, Hawkins, Ray, Nelo and Cameron Scott.
Jeremy Stawychny was the starting and losing pitcher for Lee. Stawychny (4-3) gave up six runs, three hits, walked four and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings.
Carlos Ditren scattered two hits over the final 3 2/3 innings of relief. He walked two and fanned three.
“We gave up way too many free bases to win the game,” admitted Brew. “We did a good job of giving ourselves some opportunities late to score, but we couldn't cash in. Ditren did a good job holding them down on the mound.”
Colton Cross (3-3) was credited with the win after allowing two runs (one earned), five hits, two walks and striking out three in seven innings.
Christian Champion earned his second save of the season after entering in the ninth inning. Champion walked two and struck out one in the inning.
Jacob Forrest was 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Hawks. Mathews doubled, while Riner and Dustin Hays each tallied singles.
ROME, Ga. – The Lee University tennis teams stepped back into Gulf South Conference (GSC) action on Saturday against Shorter University at the Walt Attaway Tennis Complex. The Lady Flames (3-7, 2-4 GSC) were beaten 9-0 and the Flames (1-8, 1-4 GSC) lost 8-1.
The Lady Flames and Flames will be on the courts again March 29 in Pensacola, Fla., against the University of West Florida.
The Lady Hawks (10-5, 4-1 GSC) swept the doubles matches, winning both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles by 8-1 scores. Kelsey Lovingood and Annie Sandberg were defeated 8-4 by Sicquena Sinclair and Ornella Frere at the No. 3 spot.
Shorter won 5-of-6 singles matches in straight sets. Jodie Rice won her first set against Daniela Chipe, 6-4. Chipe forced a third-set super tie-breaker with a 6-2 mark in the second set and earned the team point with a 10-3 margin in the super tie-breaker.
The Hawks (2-11, 1-3 GSC) carried a 3-0 lead following the doubles competition. Richard Gamble and Daniel Hardesty were beaten 8-5 by Alexis Catillon and Louis Tourtois. Alberto Calle and Westley Lemke lost 8-4 to Arturo Lifshitz and Marc Guerry. At No 3 doubles, Kevin Tan and Vincent Audy fell to Nikola Pavlovic and Roberts Watson, 8-3.
Lee won one of the six singles matches. Audy won his first set 7-5 and led Pavlovic 3-0 in the second set when Pavlovic retired.
Gamble edged Tourtois 7-5 in their first set. Tourtois fought back to win the second set 7-6, following a 7-3 tie-breaker. In a super-set tie-breaker, Tortois outlasted Gamble 10-6 to win the match.
Shorter University 9, Lady Flames 0
Singles competition
1. Candice Laurent (SU) def. Tonya McGraner (LU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Samya El Hsissen (SU) def. Maclain Yowarsky (LU) 6-0, 6-0
3. Ornella Frere (SU) def. Annie Sandberg (LU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Daniela Chipe (SU) def. Jodie Rice (LU) 4-6, 6-2, 10-3
5. Aurore Beltrando (SU) def. Krista Good (LU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Sicquena Sinclair (SU) def. Morgan Friedlander (LU) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Candice Laurent/Aurelie Gaborit (SU) def. Tonya McGraner/Maclain Yowarsky (LU) 8-1
2. Aurore Beltrando/Samya El Hsissen (SU) def. Jodie Rice/Krista Good (LU) 8-1
3. Sicquena Sinclair/Ornella Frere (SU) def. Kelsey Lovingood/Annie Sandberg (LU) 8-4
Shorter University 8, Flames 1
Singles competition
1. Marc Guerry (SU) def. Alberto Calle (LU) 6-1, 3-0, retired
2. Louis Tourtois (SU) def. Richard Gamble (LU) 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 10-6
3. Alexis Catillon (SU) def. Daniel Hardesty (LU) 6-1, 6-0
4. Arturo Lifshitz (SU) def. Kevin Tan (LU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Vincent Audy (LU) def. Nikola Pavlovic (SU) 7-5, 3-0, retired
6. Robert Watson (SU) def. Westley Lemke (LU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
Doubles competition
1. Alexis Catillon/Louis Tourtois (SU) def. Richard Gamble/Daniel Hardesty (LU) 8-5
2. Arturo Lifshitz/Marc Guerry (SU) def. Alberto Calle/Westley Lemke (LU) 8-4
3. Nikola Pavlovic/Robert Watson (SU) def. Kevin Tan/Vincent Audy (LU) 8-3