The Lee University softball team fought hard in game two of the double header but dropped both games to Lincoln Memorial University on Wednesday afternoon at Butler Field. The Lady Flames dropped game one 8-0 only managing to get six hits. Lee had a late game rally in the nightcap but fell by a final of 7-6
In game one, LMU got on the board in the first inning when Kelsie Tuggle hit a solo home run. The second inning had another solo home run from Katy Pozzuto and then a sacrifice fly from Sierra Hucklebee which scored Madison Henry to make it 3-0.
Lee had lead off hits in the bottom of the second and the third innings from Sidney Lee and Annalyn Ormsby but the Lady Flames could not take advantage.
LMU added a fourth run in the fifth inning on a couple of singles. For Lee, Ormsby and Lee had doubles in the fifth and sixth but were left stranded.
The Railsplitters broke the game open in the sixth scoring four runs with two outs. Victoria Conley had a single, then Gracie Palmer was hit by a pitch. Hucklebee drove in Conley and then Tuggle hit a three-run home run to make it 8-0. The Lady Flames could only muster one hit in the bottom of the sixth before the game ended.
Game two started the first way game one did with LMU getting a first inning solo home run. This one was by Katie Tuggle. Lee tied it in the bottom of the first when Ana Macha drove home Laney Harris after she hit a double. The Railsplitters scored twice in the top of the second inning after an error by Harris.
LMU added three more runs in the third inning off of starting pitcher Katie Willoughby. She walked a couple of batter before giving up a three-run home run to McKenzie Henry to make it a 6-1 lead. Lee got one run back in the bottom of the third when Lee hit a solo home run for the Lady Flames.
The next run for Lee came in the fifth inning when Lee scored Macha to make it a 6-3 game. Rylie Goodridge hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 6-4. LMU added the winning run off a home run in the top of the seventh from Sierra Hucklebee. Lee tried to tie it in the bottom of the seventh when Macha scored on a hit from Lee and Javaria Smith scored on a wild pitch. However, the Lady Flames could not get the tying run across the plate.
Head Coach Emily Russell knows this is a good learning experience for the team. “We are still trying to figure things out as a team. It’s tough in division two and the Gulf South in how you must figure it out in just playing games. But we are learning slowly. We are really young, and it is tough today taking on a team that has six or seven graduate students. Even though we lost it helps us see that we aren’t that far away from being good. We just need to learn consistency.”
In the double header, Sidney Lee was 4-for-8 from the plate with three runs batted in and one run scored. Alexa Scalzo was 3-for-6 from the plate as well. The Lady Flames gave up five home runs in the two games.
Up next the Lady Flames will host their third straight South Atlantic Conference opponent as they will host Newberry in a three game series. Game one is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 10 at 3 PM.