In an afternoon of two completely different games, the Lee University softball team split a double header with Lincoln Memorial University on Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Flames fell in game one 12-3 and then rebounded to win 14-4 in game two. With the split, the Lady Flames are now 7-1 on the season
GAME 1
LMU struck quickly in game one with four runs in the first inning. They used three hits and a couple of walks to take the lead. Three more hits in the second inning for the Railsplitters made it a 6-0 lead.
The Lady Flames got their first run of the game in the third inning. Marquila Howell singled and then stole second. Hailey Simco then drove her in with a single to left field. However, LMU added six more runs in the bottom half of the third inning. An error and four hits, including a three run home run, gave LMU a 12-1 lead.
The Last runs of the game came in the top of the fifth when Alexa Scalzo hit a two run home run which also brought Ava Perkins home. Only four Lady Flames secured hits in the first game of the double header.
GAME 2
Ava Perkins hit a solo home run in the second inning to give Lee the early lead. It was her third home run of her young career for the Lady Flames. LMU struck right back when a two-out error by Lee allowed a run to come home.
Marquila Howell led the top of the second off with a solo home run which was her second of the season. Scalzo followed that up with a bunt single. She stole second and then reached third on an error. Javaria Smith drove Scalzo in with a double. Bella Galloway then followed that up with a triple to score Smith. Laney Harris then drove in Galloway with a single for the final run of the inning.
LMu answered right back in the bottom of the third with three runs. A sacrifice fly and two doubles drove in the three runs. Lee again found the offense in the fourth inning. A sacrifice fly from Galloway brought Scalzo home to make it 6-4. Then singles from Harris and Perkins made it 8-4. Ashley Fields then hit her fourth home run of the season to extend the lead. The three-run shot went over the left field fence to make it 11-4. Simco added two more RBI with a single and Smith drove in Simco to give Lee the 14-4 lead after the top of the fourth.
LMU was unable to score in either the fourth or the fifth inning and the Lad Flames secured the victory. Seven different Lady Flames had runs batted in in the win. Alaina Watson earned her first win of the season going two innings and giving up three runs on two hits while striking out one.
Lee will be back in action on February 24-25 at home. The Lady Flames will host GSC power Valdosta State in a three games series at Butler Field. Game one is set for noon on Saturday.
Coach Emily Russell’s Thoughts:
“We hit the ball well all day. The first game we hit it right to them and we didn’t give ourselves seven innings of opportunities to get back in the game.”
“We need to grow and learn and adversity is a good teacher. The team responded well to a lot of distractions this week that could have gotten them off track. They’re a figuring out who they are and this is a special group.”