Sports weekend wrap-up
Photo by Neethu Athimattathil
It was another weekend at Lee University packed with exciting sporting events. The Flames baseball team kicked off the sports weekend at home in a double-header against the Chargers of The University of Alabama In Huntsville on Friday, Feb. 20. The Lady Flames fast-pitch softball team wrapped up the weekend with a double-header away against the Chargers of The University of Alabama in Huntsville on Sunday, Feb. 22.
Entering into the first game of Friday's double-header against the Chargers, the Flames baseball team had a perfect 9-0 season record. Flames junior pitcher Trenton Hill started the game and threw 5 1/3 innings before being replaced. In his 5 1/3 innings, Hill struck-out 5 batters while only allowing one run in the fourth inning which gave the Chargers the first run of the game and a 1-0 lead over the Flames. Ridge Ackerman'another junior pitcher for the Flames'pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief for the Flames. Ackerman allowed the Chargers an insurance run in the eighth inning which gave the Chargers a 2-0 lead after eight. The Flames would not find any offense in the game, and were handed their first loss of the season with a final score of 2-0.
In game two of the Chargers vs. Flames baseball double-header, the Flames were competing to avoid receiving both of their first two losses of the season on the same day. The fourth inning of game two gave the Flames their first run of the day off of a sacrifice fly to center-field by junior designated hitter MJ Brown. The run also gave the Flames a 1-0 lead over the Chargers. As opposed to using four pitchers in game one, the Flames only used two pitchers in game two. Flames pitcher senior Dustin Lawson pitched six innings, piling up eight strikeouts while only allowing one run in the sixth inning that tied the game at 1-1. The Flames brought in junior pitcher Kyle Briner in the seventh inning. Briner pitched a perfect two innings before the game was called to an end due to weather. With a score of 1-1 the game will go on the season record as a tie.
The Flames baseball team was scheduled to play a third game on Saturday against the Chargers, but the game was cancelled because of the weather. With the loss and the tie this weekend, the Flames baseball season record is 9-1-1. The next scheduled game for the Flames baseball team is a home game against Bellarmine University on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
Due to weather conditions, the men's and women's tennis teams of Lee University each had a match against Georgetown College postponed. The matches were previously scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, but will now be made up at a later date.
However, the Lady Flames tennis team was able to participate in a match on Saturday against the University of West Georgia, they won the match 7-2. Winning two of the three doubles matches and five of the singles matches, the Lady Flames left nothing to chance with a dominant victory.
After the win on Saturday, the Lady Flames tennis team season record improves to 2-1 with the next match scheduled at home against Montevallo University on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
At home on Saturday, Feb. 21, the Lady Flames basketball team looked to bounce back against the Lady Statesmen of Delta State University after losing to the Statesmen earlier in the season. At the end of the first half it was still anyone's game, with a score of 22-21 with the Lady Flames holding the slim one point lead. The Lady Flames took control in the second half and outscored the visiting Lady Statesmen 35-25, giving Lee the win with a 57-46 final score. Freshman Flames forward Emileigh Swafford led the Lady Flames in scoring for the game with 23 points. Swafford also pitched in on the boards and grabbed seven rebounds. Christina Johnson'junior forward for the Lady Flames'contributed to the win with a team high ten boards while scoring seven points.
The win moves the Lady Flames basketball team season record to 16-8. The team will stay at home again for the next game against Hiwassee College on Thursday, Feb. 26.
After coming away with wins in the previous two games on the schedule, the Flames men's basketball team hoped to make it a three game winning streak by beating the Statesman of Delta State University on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Flames had a small lead at the half with a score of 29-24. There was no slacking in the second half for the Flames as they continued to build on the lead, and went on to win 70-58. It was a team effort from the Flames that earned the win as all ten Flames that checked into the game scored. Sophomore point-guard Stedmon Ford led the Flames in scoring racking up 20 points. Ford scored his points efficiently by going 5-9 from the field, 4-5 from long distance and 6-7 at the free throw line.
The three game winning streak has improved the Flames men's basketball season record to two games over .500 with a 14-12 record. The Flames will be at home for their next game against Hiwassee College on Thursday, Feb. 26.
On Sunday, Feb. 22 the Lady Flames Softball team travelled to Huntsville, Alabama for a double header against the Chargers of The University of Huntsville Alabama. This was scheduled to be a home game for the Lady Flames but with the weather conditions being questionable in Cleveland, Tennessee the team was forced to play a home game on the road.
Game one of the double header wasted no time before the action began. In the top of the first inning the Chargers scored a run on a wild pitch. The Lady Flames took no time to respond with a two-run homerun hit by junior catcher Emily Dagnan'her second homerun of the season. Each team scraped across another run in the second inning, making it a 3-2 Flames lead through two innings. In the fourth inning, the Chargers took their first lead of the game scoring two runs off of a double. Pitching controlled the rest of the game and both teams were scoreless in the final three innings. The Lady Flames took the loss in game one with a final score of 4-3. Flames freshman pitcher Leigh Beatenbough pitched all seven innings, and had eight strikeouts in the narrow loss to the Chargers.
In game two, the Charger's offensive explosion proved too much for the Lady Flames softball team. The Charger's won game to with a score of 8-3, and with that took both games of the double header. Dagnan contributed once again in game two driving in a run on a double in the sixth inning. The Charger's had two homeruns in the third inning that resulted in three total runs, they followed the third inning by driving in four more runs in the fourth inning putting the game out of reach.
The two losses puts the Lady Flames softball season record at 9-6, and their next game will be game three of the series against the Chargers on Monday, Feb. 23.
