The Lee baseball team dropped both games to the Mississippi College Choctaws in a fiery doubleheader from Olympic Field on Saturday afternoon.
The two Gulf South Conference rivals were meeting for the first time since the conference championship game last season when the Choctaws edged the Flames.
Mississippi College (13-9, 6-4) scored early in often in blowing out Lee, 13-4 in the opener. The nightcap was a back and forth affair as the Choctaws held off the Flames late for a 6-5 win.
Lee (11-14, 4-5) will look to salvage the final game of the series tomorrow afternoon.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
"Mississippi College has a really good team and came out swinging aggressively. Our starters on the mound struggled in both games and that put a major strain on our pitching staff heading into tomorrow," said Lee head coach Mark Brew. "We have to clean up our defensive miscues and freebies from the mound. It's a short turn around, but we have to find a way to salvage the series tomorrow."
GAME ONE
The Choctaws jumped on Lee starter Randall Coxwell (1-2) scoring four runs on five hits over the first two frames.
Mississippi College would open up a 6-0 lead before a Miguel Pimentel singled home a run in the third frame. Justin Fragale followed with a run-scoring single of his own. Thomas Zazzaro added a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.
The Choctaws wouldn't let up however as added three more in the fourth and finished things with four runs in the sixth. Blaine Crim completed the offensive output with a three-run home run.
Chris Cosby (2-2) went eight innings allowing four runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out six.
Andrew Franklin finished off the last 3.1 innings on the mound for the Flames. The lefty did not allow a hit and struck out four.
GAME TWO
A late rally came up short for the Flames as Mississippi College scored two three runs in the sixth and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the frame to complete the sweep.
Crim delivered a doubled home a run to tie things up at 4-4 in the sixth inning. From there the Flames self-destructed, issuing back to back bases loaded walks to give the Choctaws a two-run advantage. Crim ended the game with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
In the bottom of the sixth the Choctaws returned the favor issuing a bases loaded walk to Miguel Pimentel before working out Ryan Lane worked out of trouble with a big strikeout. Lane would earn his first save of the year with a 1-2-3 seventh.
Freshman Alex Butler started for the Flames and was chased after giving up a three runs in the first before recording an out. All-GSC hurler Logan Workman (2-2) came on and tossed five-plus innings allowing three runs on four hits and was hit with the loss. He walked five and struck out four.
Down 3-0 early the Flames got on the board in the second inning on a Ryan Beamish double to right center that scored Fragale. The two would partner together again in the third to tie things up at three as Fragale single home Fernando Ortiz before Beamish delivered another double down the right field line to plate Fragale.
Zack Ingram started for the visitors and was given a no-decision after allowing four runs on four hits. Ingram walked five and punched out four. Brandon Kennedy (1-1) struck out the side in the side in the fifth to earn the victory.