Lee’s 10-5 victory over Tusculum University on Wednesday afternoon at Larry Carpenter Stadium gave Coach Mark Brew his 700th win, all coming as the Flames head coach. His record over the past 18 seasons stands at 700-299-2.
The non-conference victory improved the 14th-ranked Flames overall record to 29-10 while the Pioneers dropped to 20-18. Lee returns to GSC action on Friday and Saturday in a three-game series at Union University. Friday’s first pitch is slated for 7 p.m. and Saturday’s doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m.
The Flames wasted no time in jumping out to an 8-0 lead after the first six innings of play and appeared ready to coast home with the win. However, the visiting Pioneers had other ideas and did not go down without a fight. Tusculumcompleted the contest, out-hitting Lee 13-10.
In the first inning, Dylan Standifer was hit by a pitch and scored on a two-run homer by Cam Suto. In the second frame, Josiah Miller doubled, Riley Black walked and Ashton Simmons put down a bunt single to load the bases. Standifer drew a free pass and collected a RBI while Suto ripped a one-base hit that plated Black.
Standifer started another two-run inning in the fourth with another walk. Suto banged out a single and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Brandon Daniels posted a RBI with a one-base hit that scored Standifer and Suto raced home on an error.
In the fifth inning the Flames made it an 8-0 game. Miller led off the inning with a single and tallied a run when Black ripped his fourth homerun of the year. Lee failed to reach base in the sixth and seventh innings.
Tusculum sent 11 batters to the plate in the eighth inning and cut the lead to 8-5. Jayden Singleton drove home two runs in the frame with a double while Will Samuelson blasted a two-run homer. Ben Scartz posted the other RBI in the five-run inning. All totaled, the Pioneers collected eight hits in the frame. Murphy Flood finished the day with three hits.
The Flames responded with two key runs in the bottom of the eighth when Miller picked up a free pass. Simmons was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a Pioneer wild pitch. Standifer stroked his big hit of the afternoon, a single that pushed across two runs. Miller finished the day with a double, single and three runs scored.
In the top of the ninth, Tim Gooden retired all three Tusculum hitters he faced, two coming on strikeouts. Lee used seven pitchers. Colt McKibben worked the first two innings and gave up one hit and no runs. Nelson Smith came on for a solid inning of work. Zachary Lawson (2-2) was impressive for 2.2 frames and got credit for the win. The freshman allowed three hits and no earned runs. Hunter Lane pitched 1.1 innings before Gooden came on to seal the deal.
The Pioneers sent four pitchers to the mound. Mason Huffstickler (0-2) was the losing hurler. In one inning he allowed four hits and four earned runs. Billy Quinn followed for four innings. He gave up five hits and three earned runs. Luke Maicon and Jonathan Nelson finished out the day for Tusculum.