Flames Capture First GSC Regular Season Championship
The 2021 Senior Class. Photo by Reily Anderson courtesy of Lee Athletic Communications.
Featuring outstanding defense, solid pitching and timely hitting the Lee baseball team claimed its first Gulf South Conference regular-season championship by defeating Mississippi College 11-4, 8-6 on Sunday afternoon at Larry Carpenter Stadium. At the same time, West Florida lost its second game of a doubleheader giving the Flames the championship.
The Flames improved to 31-4 overall and continued to hold a four-game lead in the GSC standings with 25-3 record. The losing Choctaws dropped to 15-17, 12-15. The two teams will tangle again in the final game of the three-game series at 1 p.m. on Monday.
Before Sunday's action, 15 of Lee players that are seniors or transferring were honored with picture plaques. Athletic Director Larry Carpenter presented Lee head coach Mark Brew a special plaque in honor of his 600th coaching victory.
"Our defense made some huge plays and we were able to get some big double plays in some big moments," noted Coach Brew after the two wins. "(Alan) Carter pitching out of the bases loaded, no-out jam was a big lift to us in game two. Offensively, we were able to come up with some big two-out hits and were able to continue extending the lead with some big swings. We also got good production from different spots in the lineup."
Game 1 – Lee 11, MC 4
The Flames never trailed and broke open a 3-2 contest by sending 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning and then adding three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Lee got a couple of two-base hits from Ryan Beamish and doubles from Justen Freeman, Dylan Standifer and Riley Black in the win. Beamish finished the game with three hits, four RBI and scored twice. Freeman had three hits and three runs scored. Alan Smith joined in with a three-hit game plus a RBI and one tally. Standifer finished with three hits, three RBI and a run scored. Black was 2-of-4 with a RBI and tallied twice.
Logan Workman improved his record to 6-0 on the year. He pitched eight complete innings allowing six hits, two earned runs and striking out 10. Alan Rickman hurled a perfect ninth inning.
Lee pitching held the Choctaws to six hits. Dylan Duplechain had two hits and drove in three runs with a double and a home run. Logan McGrew had a double and scored a run. Peyton Russell was the starting and losing pitcher. He worked 5.2 innings giving up six hits and six earned runs. Jackson Smith and Lance Wade finished the first game on the mound for the Choctaws.
Game 2 – Lee 8, MC 6
After turning in some defensive gems in the first game, the Flames did the same in recording the second win. Again, it was Beamish leading the way. The senior first baseman delivered his 18th "Beamer Bomb" and finished the game with three hits including a double, two RBI and a run scored.
Brandon Daniels stepped up with a homer and double. His total reached two hits, two RBI and a couple of runs scored. Freeman added to his first game numbers with two more hits in three trips to the dish and tallied a run. Smith joined Freeman with a five-hit afternoon. He had two hits and scored a run. All totaled, the Flames had 11 hits.
Seth Konkel went to the bump for 5.2 innings. The lefty gave up five hits and four earned runs. He fanned seven and walked two. Konkel's record improved to 5-0. The big story of the afternoon belonged to Carter. After a couple of walks loaded the bases, the hard-throwing Carter got a Choctaw hitter to pop-up and then promptly struck out the final two hitters to end the threat, much to the delight of his teammates.
Caleb Reese homered and drove in three runs for Mississippi College. Ken Scott also drilled a long home run while Dakota Kennedy had two hits including a double and Duplechain collected a two-base hit and scored one of his team's six runs. Jackson Bridges was the starting and losing Choctaw pitcher. In seven innings, he allowed nine hits and four earned runs. Dylan Marsh came on for an inning and surrendered three unearned runs.
"Mississippi College has a good team and they'll be ready tomorrow. I expect us to be ready to go and match the intensity," concluded Brew.
