After dropping the first game of the series, the Lee University softball team fought back and earned a split with the Auburn University Montgomery Warhawks on Saturday afternoon at Butler Field. AUM took game one 9-1 before Lee snapped a five-game winning streak to earn 7-5 victory in game two. Annalynn Ormsby’s three run home run proved to be the difference in game two.
GAME 1 In the first game both teams were very quiet offensively until the fourth inning when AUM got on the board with a solo home run from Kat Fallen. The Warhawks doubled the lead when Gia Martin scored on an obstruction call on the catcher, Hailey Simco. AUM made it 3-0 when Chole Baynes drove in Lexie Bullock.
Fallen homered again in the fifth driving in two more runs. Shelb y Newsome made it 7-0 in the sixth with a two RBI double. Two more runs came later in the inning to make it 9-0. Lee’s only run came in the bottom of the sixth when Javaria Smith brought Simco home.
Smith was 2-for-3 in the first game with Lee only getting a total of six hits. Olivia Tyson took the loss for Lee going four innings and giving up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Abigail Welbaum went one inning and gave up five runs on five hits. Katie Willoughby had one inning pitching in relief and gave up one run on two hits.
GAME 2 AUM jumped out to an early lead scoring on a Fallen single in the top of the first. Lee responded in the bottom of the first when Smith reached safely on an error. The error allowed Alexa Scalzo to tie the game at 1-1. Lee took the lead in the third with a sacrifice fly from Laney Harris.
Shelby Cole extended the lead for the Lady Flames with a two-run home run in the fourth. AUM retook the lead though in the fifth Fallen had an RBI double, then Martin added a two-run home run. Lexi Love then hit another home run to five Aum the 5-4 lead. Annalynn Ormsby then hit a three-run home run to give Lee the 7-5 lead which they did not relinquish.
Smith went 2-for-4 from the plate in the game while Ormsby added three RBI and Cole had two. Olivia Tyson earned the win going two and two-thirds innings and not giving up a run.
The rubber match will be at Butler Field at 1 PM on Sunday, March 17.
Steady pitching, timely hitting and key defensive plays was the difference as the Lee baseball team swept a doubleheader from visiting Auburn University at Montgomery on Saturday afternoon at Larry Carpenter Stadium. The Flames claimed the opener 7-1 and turned back a late rally by the Warhawks in the nightcap to win 4-3. The two clubs will play the final game of the GSC series beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Game 1 – Lee 7, AUM 1 Jack Nedrow pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and allowed one earned run. He struck out six and walked one batter as he improved his record to 6-0 on the year. Ty Cobb came on to work the ninth inning and surrendered a hit and walked one batter. Dylan Standifer and Brandon Daniels recorded outstanding defensive plays to help spark the win.
It was a big day at the plate for JJ Williams. In the third inning Standifer and Daniels walked. They advanced to second and third, then scored when Williams singled for the first of his two RBI. It was a 2-1 game in the seventh when Lee loaded the bases on singles by Standifer and Cam Suto. Daniels was intentionally walked to load the bases. Matthew Batts drew a free pass and collected a RBI that plated Standifer.
Williams blasted a long grand-slam homer high over the left-field wall, giving him six runs batted in for the afternoon. He was the only Lee player with two hits in the victory. Standifer and Daniels scored two runs apiece.
Jarren Wright had a bunt single and scored AUM’s only run of the game in the second inning. Cole McWhorter collected the RBI with a fly ball to left. Zach Dew was the only Warhawk player with two hits in the loss. Payte Williams (1-3) was the starting and losing AUM pitcher. In 6.2 innings, he allowed five hits and five earned runs.
Game 2 – Lee 4, AUM 3 The Flames got another solid pitching effort from Keegan Gagliardo (3-0). The lefty pitched six innings in the seven-inning contest. He gave up five hits and two earned runs, striking out four and walking one batter. Tim Gooden came on to work the final inning. He pitched himself out of a jam in the frame and picked up his second save of the year. He allowed three hits and an earned run, walking one and striking out one.
Lee jumped on top 1-0 in the first inning. Standifer led off the game with a one-base hit. Suto was safe on a fielder’s choice. Daniels singled and Batts picked up an RBI with a fielder’s choice.
The Flames made it a 3-0 game in the second. Isaiah French ripped a long homerun over the left-field wall. It was the first four-bagger of the freshman’s career. Standifer followed with his second hit of the game, stole second and scored on a one-base knock of Suto’s to make it a 3-0 contest.
AUM cut the margin to 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning. Kasey Clark had a two-base hit and scored on a two-run homer by Cooper Doughman. The Flames came back with what turned out to be one of their biggest hits of the afternoon. Luke Collier lifted a long fly ball over the left-field fence to put Lee up 4-2.
Things got even more exciting in the top of the seventh inning. Ashton Thomas came on as a pinch hitter and blasted a double for AUM. Doughman picked up his third RBI of the game with a single that scored Thomas to make it 4-3. Dew was safe on an infield hit to load the bases. Wright grounded out to Lee’s first-baseman Suto to end the contest and give Gooden the save.
Luke Turner was the starting and losing Warhawk pitcher. Over six innings, he allowed eight hits and four earned runs while Doughman did the damage at the plate for the visitors, picking up the homer, single and driving home all three runs. Dew was the only other AUM player with two hits.