Led by six hits and five RBI from senior Ana Coscorrosa the Lee softball team earned a doubleheader split with Young Harris College on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference action.
The Lady Flames (14-17) battled back from a two-run deficit in the sixth inning and worked around a bases loaded jam in the home half of the seventh to top Young Harris (14-19), 8-7 in the opener. The Mountain Lions would bounce back in the nightcap and cruise to a 12-4 victory in six innings.
Lee (14-17) will now head back into Gulf South Conference play this weekend as they welcome West Florida to Butler Field for a three-game set beginning Saturday at 1 p.m.
GAME ONE
Lee starter Angie Hughes (8-9) did her very best Houdini act in game one as she worked around a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to preserve an 8-7 Lady Flames' victory.
Hughes gutted out a complete game performance.
The sophomore worked seven innings giving up seven runs (three earned) on six hits. She walked six and struck out a batter.
After falling behind 6-4, the visitors battled back with two runs in the sixth inning to tie things up. Lee scored runs on a passed ball and a RBI single from Annabeth Pruett. The Lady Flames would take the lead with two more runs in the seventh. Laurel Allen stole home while Coscorrosa's added her third RBI of the game with a single up the middle.
Young Harris refused to go quietly in the seventh. The home team appeared primed for a walk-off victory after pulling within one when McKenna Rylee walked with the bases loaded and two outs. Hughes worked out of the jam however, inducing a fly out to end the contest.
In what has become a theme for the Lady Flames in 2014 they struck first with two runs in the first inning. Coscorrosa continued to swing a hot stick as she roped a double to left field to score Lexie Dean and Dominique Hannah.
The lead was short lived as the Mountain Lions answered back in the bottom of the first with two runs courtesy of Lindsay Tudor's single.
Freshman Holley Gray put Lee back up in the fourth as she launched a two-run homer to left for her first career long ball.
The Mountain Lions scored four runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-4 advantage. The big blow came on a three-run homer from Taylor Beauchamp.
The Lady Flames finished with 12 hits in the game. Hannah went 2-for-4 with a triple. Leadoff hitter Allen added a pair of hits and wreaked havoc on the bases with three stolen bases while Macias chipped in a pair of singles and scored two runs.
Brittany Henry started and worked four innings for Young Harris. She gave up four runs on five hits. Katie-Jo Gentry followed in relief working two innings. Gentry yielded two runs (one earned) on three hits. Darby Stanford (5-8) was tagged with the loss as she pitched the seventh inning. Stanford surrendered two runs on four hits.
GAME TWO
After failing to get the big hit in game one, the Mountain Lions got plenty of hits in game two topping the Lady Flames 12-4 in six innings to salvage the doubleheader split.
Similar to game one Lee would strike first on a Gray single. The freshman finished with two hits. Coscorrosa joined Gray as the only Lady Flames with multiple hits. The senior was a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and scored twice.
Young Harris would strike back to take the lead with two runs in the third. The home squad would take complete control of the contest with a six-run fifth inning.
Beauchamp and Rylee led the 14-attack for the Mountain Lions with three hits apiece. Rylee doubled and drove in three. Chandler Stooksbury singled and drove in three while Sarah Magill and Syndee Weaver added two hits each at the top of the lineup. Lindsey York rounded out the offensive explosion with a double and two RBI.
The Lady Flames used three pitchers in game two but no one was able to avoid the hot bats of Young Harris. Hailey Clark (2-6) started and was tagged with the loss. The freshman gave up five runs in three-plus innings but only two were earned.
Game one starter Hughes came on to work one inning of relief. She was charged with three runs on two hits while walking two. Annabeth Pruett worked the final 1 1/3 innings giving up four runs on five hits.
Karli Timms started in the circle for Young Harris. She worked four innings giving up two runs on six hits. Stanford worked the final two innings in relief. She was charged with two runs on two hits while striking out four.