Despite two comeback attempts, the Lee University softball team came up short in two contests to the University of Montevallo on Saturday. In game one the Lady Flames rallied from a six-run deficit to force extra innings but came up short losing 10-8 in game one. In game two, the Lady Flames rallied again but came up one run short falling 6-5. With the two wins Montevallo took the series and Lee fell to 19-16 overall and 6-14 in Gulf South Conference action.
GAME 1
The Lady Flames mounted a comeback in game one.
Trailing 7-1, they tied the game in the seventh but ended up losing in extra innings 10-8.
Montevallo led the game off with a solo home run from Bentlee Stiner to lead 1-0. Lee responded in the bottom half of the frame. Alexa Scalzo led it off with a walk. After she stole second, Ana Macha drove her in with a single to tie the game at 1-1.
Montevallo scored three runs in the second and the three innings to extend the lead out to 7-1. In the third, the Falcons had two singles, a double, and a triple to score the three runs. In the third, after Lee turned a double play, Montevallo had a single, walk, and hit by pitch to load the bases. Riley Tyree then cleared the bases with a double to give UM the 7-1 lead.
Lee started the comeback in the fifth. They got two runs back when Javaria Smith hit a two-run home run to score Macha. Lee then tied the game in the seventh. Scalzo started the rally with a single. That was followed by a single from Macha. Smith then singled to score Scalzo. After two outs, Alyson Jarvi tied the game with a three-run home run and force extra innings.
Montevallo then retook the lead in the eighth innings. A double and then back-to-back home runs gave the Falcons a three-run lead again. The Lady Flames managed to get a single run back on a sacrifice fly with Smith sending Scalzo scoring but the rally ended in the eighth as the Lady Flames lost 10-8.
Madison Barnett got the start for Lee in the circle. She pitched five innings and gave up seven runs on 12 hits while striking out one. Alaina Watson took the loss for Lee as she went to 1-2 on the season. She gave up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
At the plate, Macha was 4-for-5 with a run and a RBI. Scalzo had two hits and three runs. Smith was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs and four RBI. Jarvi added three RBI in the loss as well.
GAME 2
Montevallo started off the game with two hits and walk to take a 1-0 lead in the first. They extended the lead in the second inning. A hit by a pitch and a walk was brought home by a three-run home run by Becca Benton and UM led 4-0.
The Lady Flames got on the board in the third inning. Kaelin Ault was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off. Scalzo then hit a two-run home run to make it a 4-2 game. After a Macha double, Smith brought her in with a single.
Montevallo pushed the lead further out in the sixth inning. Two singles and double brought two runs home and UM led 6-3. The Lady Flames got the two runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Jarvi and Natalie Toups both singled and they in a pinch hit situation Kadyn Smith drove them both in with a single to make it 6-5. Lee got two on base in the bottom of the seventh but fell short and lost the game by one run.
Natalie Pruitt-Geesey took the loss for the Lady Flames falling to 13-5 on the season. She went five and two-thirds innings giving up six runs on three hits. Layne Bailey threw one and one-third innings in relief and gave up two hits and had a strikeout.
Scalzo had two hits and two RBI with one run scored in the loss. Javaria Smith added another RBI while Kadyn Smith had two RBI.
The Lady Flames will remain at home next weekend as they will host the University of West Florida on April 4th and 5th.