After going 23 innings without scoring in a three-game series against Delta State University, the Lee University baseball team finally tallied four runs in the eighth inning and one more in the ninth on Saturday afternoon but it wasn’t enough in an 8-5 loss to the Statesmen.
Delta State swept the three-game series and improved to 3-0 in GSC play and 7-3 overall. The Flames dropped to 0-3 and 5-5. Lee will return to Larry Carpenter Stadium on Tuesday and face a tough non-conference opponent in Carson Newman University.
The first pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
Delta State jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third inning. Jacob Hill singled home a run in the frame but it was a two-run homer by Dylan Coleman and a double by Brett Burrell that highlighted the big hits in the inning. Burrell finished the contest with three hits and three RBI.
Lee pitching allowed only a single run in the sixth inning and it was a 6-0 contest headed into the top of the eighth inning. The Flames exploded for four runs and cut the lead to 6-4. Tucker Platt singled and Levi Cloud was hit by a pitch. Josiah Miller supplied the big hit of the inning, a three-run homer to make it a 6-3 game. Ryan Valdez and JJ Williams followed with one-base hits and Valdez tallied on a single by Luke Collier. A ground out ended the key uprising.
The Statesmen bounced right back with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it an 8-4 contest. Burrell capped off his day with a two-run shot. Lee battled back in the top of the ninth but it wasn’t enough. Cooper Doughman homered in the frame and Malachi Cloud doubled.
The Flames had 11 hits off three Delta State pitchers. Williams, Collier and Malachi Cloud collected two hits apiece. Levi Cloud joined Malachi with two-base knocks. Seven Lee players had at least one hit in the contest. Doughman and Miller collected their first homerun of the season.
Zachary Lawson was the starting and losing Lee pitcher. In 2.1 innings, he allowed five hits and five earned runs. Ty Cobb gave the Flames 4.2 frames of solid relief work. He gave up two hits and one earned run. Hunter Lane pitched an inning and allowed two hits and two earned runs.
Logan Eldridge (1-0) got the win for the Statesmen. In 5.1 innings, he gave up four hits and no earned runs. Christian Clayton followed for 2.1 innings and allowed four hits and four earned runs. Josh Hill was called on to get his second save of the season. In 1.1 innings he allowed three hits and an earned run.