The Lee baseball team wrapped up regular season play with a 3-1 victory over Tusculum College on Tuesday evening from Olympic Field.
Solid pitching from five different Lee pitchers lead the way for the victory. Logan Campbell started and tossed 2 2/3 innings allowing one run while striking out five batters including the first three he faced to start the contest.
Junior Kyle Briner (1-2) came on to work 2 1/3 scoreless innings and was credit with the win. Briner allowed just three hits while fanning two.
Ridge Ackerman tossed two no-hit innings and Grayson Bailey worked a scoreless eighth before Chevis Hoover came on in the ninth to record his second save of the season.
Hoover did have to dance around some trouble after recording the first two outs in the final frame with ease. Scott Gibson kept things going for Tusculum with a pinch-hit bloop single. Nick Rodriquez followed with walk and both runners advanced into scoring position on a throwing error after Gibson looked to be caught sleeping at second base.
Hoover came back to strikeout the Pioneers' leadoff hitter Andrew Bowerman to seal the victory.
The Flames (30-17-1) exacted some revenge on the Pioneers (29-19) for an earlier season loss back on Apr. 8.
"Our pitching was really good again tonight," said head coach Mark Brew. "We decided to use Campbell and Briner at the beginning and they got us off to a good start. It always seems to come down to pitching when we play Tusculum."
The offense did just enough to as Lee scored all three runs in the bottom of the second frame. Ben Holland, fresh off being named NCCAA Player of the Week, continued to swing a hot stick with a solo homer to center. Nathan Wierzgac added the second run on a fielder's choice. Wierzgac would score when Josh Tate capped the rally with a single to right field.
Chris Adams added two hits and Trent Hill doubled to account for the other extra base hit for the Flames.
"We did a nice job in the second inning to get on the board," added Brew. "Ben continues to swing the bat well and Tate did a nice job of closing out the rally with a base hit. Defensively we were solid and hopefully we can continue this play during the NCCAA Regional"
Jeremiah Tullidge paced Tusculum with three singles. Creighton Wilke, Jeovanny Tolentino, Gibson and Rodriquez also singled in the game.
Zach Slagle (5-3) started and was pinned with the loss for the Pioneers. Slagle pitched 5 1/3 innings and yielded five hits and three runs. He walked four and struck out four. Christian Raasch came on in relief and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings allowing three hits to go along with two punchouts.
The Flames, winners of five straight to close out the regular season portion of the schedule, will get a few days off before entering postseason play. Lee will host the NCCAA Mid-East Region Tournament beginning Tuesday May 12 at Olympic Field. Brew's crew will be hoping to punch their ticket back to Mason, Ohio and the NCCAA World Series after finishing second last season.