The Lee University softball team left ten runners on base in both games of the double header against Delta State University on Friday. The Lady Flames dropped game one 7-3 and lost game two 6-5 in Oxford. Lee dropped the first two games in Gulf South Conference play. Lee fell to 7-3, 0-2 while DSU improved to 5-1, 2-0.
Game 1
Lee loaded the bases in the first inning with just one out, but could not bring a run in and left three on base in the first. DSU used two hits to drive in a run in the bottom of the first and led it 1-0.
Lee tied the game in the third inning when Rylie Goodridge brought Ana Macha home.
However, DSU broke the game open in the bottom of the third. The first two batters were hit by a pitch. Then an error by Madison Barnett allowed a run to score. DSU followed that up with a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice RBI to make it 4-1. The last run of the inning came on a double steal and DSU led 5-1.
Lee got a run back in the sixth when Ava Perkins reached on an error, Javaria Smith drove her in with a double. DSU got two more runs in the bottom of the sixth after another error from Lee and led 7-2. Macha scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning for the final run of the game.
Lee stranded ten base runners and six were in scoring position in the loss. Macha was 4-for-4 in the loss with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Rylie Goodridge was the only other player for Lee with multiple hits in the game as she had two.
Madison Barnett received the loss in the contest giving up five runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Alania Watson threw one inning and gave up three hits and two runs.
Game 2
Lee scored first in the second game. Hailey Simco drove in Ana Macha, but the Lady Flames left the bases loaded in the first. DSU tied the game in the bottom of the second. After a walk and a single, the run came across on an error by Ava Perkins at second base.
Lee retook the lead in the third when Smith doubled to drive in Goodridge and Hayden Gardner. However, DSU refused to go away and tied the game in the bottom half of the third. The Lady Statesmen used four singles to score two runs and tie the game at 3-3.
In the fourth, Macha drove Alexa Scalzo home to give Lee the lead once again, but DSU retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth. They had three more singles to score two more runs and led 5-4.
Lee scored one more run in the top of the fifth, when Alyson Jarvi reached on an error. The next batter, Scalzo, brought her home to tie it at 5-5. DSU scored the winning run in the fifth. A single and an error from Jarvi got two base runners on. Madison Barnett came into pitch. in relief and threw a wild pitch which brought in the final run of the game.
Lee once again stranded ten base runners with six in scoring position in the loss. Macha. Scalzo, and Perkins all had two hits in the loss. Smith had two RBI while Scalzo scored twice.
Layne Bailey got her first start of her career. She went four and two-thirds of an innings. She gave up ten hits and six runs while striking out one. Barnett threw one and a third innings.
Lee will face DSU in the final game of the series on Saturday, February 15 at 12 PM EST in Oxford, Miss.