Andy Rivera earned his second save of the season in game one on Saturday.
The ninth-ranked Lee baseball team improved to 11-1 overall and 10-0 in Gulf South Conference play after sweeping a doubleheader from host Auburn Montgomery on Saturday afternoon.
In a pitching duel, the Flames won the opener 2-1 and then held on in the nightcap to claim a 6-5 victory. The two teams will be back on the diamond for a single nine-inning game on Sunday scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
“It was two gritty wins by our team. We didn’t play our best, but we found ways to take advantage of mistakes and came up with some big hits,” explained Lee head coach Mark Brew.
“We also made some huge pitches in some big spots. With all that being said, we need to play a little cleaner tomorrow. Too many freebies on the mound and defense will catch up to us. AUM will be ready to go and I expect our guys to be ready also.”
Game 2 – Lee 6, AUM 5
After three scoreless innings, the Flames got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Ryan Beamish ripped a solo homer over the right-field wall. Dylan Standifer followed with a single and later scored on a one-base hit by Landon Silver. The Warhawks fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the same inning.
The Flames went back to work in the fifth. Freshman Brycen Jewell singled to start the inning and went to second on a sac bunt. He scored on Beamish’s second RBI of the game. Standifer followed with a one-base hit that scored Alan Smith, who had been intentionally walked earlier in the inning. AUM came right back with two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.
Lee went on top for good in the sixth inning and it was Brandon Daniels who walked, stole second and then scored on a key Warhawks error. The Flames tacked on what would be a big insurance run in the top of the seventh. Yeager reached on an error and then scored on another miscue by the Warhawks.
The Flames used four pitchers in the win. Tyler Fairchild started and pitched 4.1 innings of three-hit ball. Chandler Ring came on for the next 2.2 innings and picked up his first win. He allowed one earned run and struck out four. Michael Hendricks sealed the deal for the Flames. He entered in the bottom of the eighth inning and worked Lee out of a jam. Hendricks came back to pitch the ninth and fanned two of the three batters he faced.
On the other hand, AUM used seven pitchers in the loss. Michael Henderson started and pitched 4.2 innings. Will Collins entered and was charged with the defeat. Matthew Marfice blasted his second homer of the day and collected a pair of RBI.
Game 1 - Lee 2, AUM 1
Red-shirt junior Seth Konkel improved his pitching record to 3-0 by working eight innings in a 2-1 victory over the Warhawks. Konkel allowed seven hits, one earned run, struck out eight and issued two walks. Senior Andy Rivera came on in the ninth inning to pick up his second save of the year. He struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Alan Smith doubled and singled for the Flames. Dylan Standifer also had a pair of hits as Lee collected seven hits against the pitching of Hunter Viets (1-3). Viets did not allow an earned run while fanning eight and walking just one man.
The Flames went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Thomas Zazzaro singled to right and Smith doubled up the middle. Lee got a break when Colton Yeager reached on an error that allowed Zazzaro to score. AUM tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Matthew Marfice homered over the left-center field wall.
The Flames got the game winner in the top of the eighth inning. Standifer singled to left and Smith followed with a two-base hit down the left-field line to advance Standifer to third. Again, Yeager was in the middle of the action when he reached on another error that allowed Standifer to score what turned out to be the unearned and winning run. Landon Silver and Yeager had Lee’s other hits.