Lee Baseball Team Advances To NCCAA Semifinals

  • Saturday, May 23, 2015
 It is on to the semi-final round of the NCCAA World Series for the Lee University baseball team. The Flames defeated Oakland City (Ind.) 6-0 early on Thursday and then returned for a convincing late-night victory over Oklahoma Christian, 13-3.

The Flames earned the right to play in the final four by posting four straight victories in pool play. They will begin regular single elimination play on Friday at 8 p.m. when they face an opponent that will not be known until after a Friday morning contest between Palm Beach Atlantic and Toccoa Falls.
Fresno Pacific has earned the other berth and the team that defeated Lee in the final last year will face Oklahoma Christian at 5 p.m.

LEE 13, OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN 3
The Flames rode the pitching of Chevis Hoover and the second three-run homer of the day by Luke Toms in claiming the victory over an Oklahoma Christian team that has posted 34 victories against mainly NCAA Division II competition this season.

Hoover pitched eight innings allowing five hits and three earned runs. He struck out nine and walked two. Four of the hits off Hoover (6-3) came in the eighth inning when the Eagles rallied for three runs mainly due to a two-run homer by Ryan Ward. Corbin Lamb hurled the final inning for the Flames.

Like earlier in the day, Lee scored a single run in the fourth inning to take the 1-0 lead. Ben Holland singled and scored on a RBI single by MJ Brown. Brown had a huge game for the Flames, collecting a double and two singles and driving home two runs.

Lee, as it has done the past several games, turned the fifth inning into magic once again. Ten batters went to the plate and five runners scored to almost end any hopes of an OCU comeback. Toms delivered his three-run homer in the inning. Chris Adams, Andres Nelo, Trent Hill, Nate Wierzgac and Zack Zyburt also had one-base knocks in the inning. Holland delivered a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh Lee seemed posed to close out the contest and construct the 10 run rule when they pushed three more runners across the plate to make it a 9-0 affair. Wierzgac had a RBI single in the inning while Brown collected a hit and Hill and Toms scored two of the three runs.

The margin reached 10-0 in the eighth when Nelo walked and scored on Brown’s two-base hit. The Eagles refused to go away without a fight and put up three runs on four hits in the eighth inning and eliminated the 10-run mercy rule.

Nelo joined the big effort by Brown with a double, a single and three runs scored while Wierzgac finished with two hits, a run scored and a run batted in.
Oklahoma Christian catcher Austin Orth had a double and a single for the losers.

"We got some key efforts out of some individuals who had not been in the starting lineup for awhile," noted coach Mark Brew. "Zyburt came up big with three hits and Hoover pitched one of his best games when we needed it most. We wanted to try and rest Siosi Poti and Josh Tate tonight and we were able to do that. Poti is slowed by a groin pull and we wanted Tate fresh as we enter into the single elimination phase of the event. We've also got Trent Hill ready to go. Again, I really like the way this team is playing right now."

LEE 6, OAKLAND CITY 0
Junior right-hander Logan Campbell hurled a four-hitter and Toms supplied the bat power as the Lee Flames earned a spot in the semi-final round of the NCCAA World Series after a 6-0 victory over Oakland City (Ind.) on Thursday.

"It's the first time I've pitched a complete nine-inning game," said Campbell (2-0) with a big smile spreading across his face after throwing only 102 pitches in posting the pitching win. Campbell was in complete command from start to finish. In fact, two of the four hits he allowed came in the ninth inning. He struck out five and walked two batters.

Toms gave the Flames a huge lift in the sixth inning when he blasted a 380-feet homer over the left-centerfield wall at Prasco Park. The Flames only had a 1-0 lead when Toms connected for his third four-bagger of the season.

"It was just a solid effort by our team all the way around," commented coach Brew after his Flames improved to 37-18-1 in the year. "It was a complete performance; excellent pitching, outstanding fielding and timely hitting. I'm really proud of this group. They have performed the way I expected in this tournament. The 3-0 start gives us a lot of pitching options heading into Friday evening."

Toms finished the day with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored. Wierzgac continued his superior play in the field and at the plate. Not only did he make a sensational catch from his right-field position in the seventh inning, he also had a double, a single and collected a RBI.

Lee broke open a scoreless battle with two outs in the fourth inning. Toms singled, went to second after a walk to Brown. He had third base stolen when Oakland City catcher fired the ball over the head of the third baseman and allowed Toms to score.

In the sixth, Hill walked and Toms followed with his home run as the margin grew to 3-0. In the seventh, Adams tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Nelo. The final insurance run came in the eighth. Hill and Toms put together back-to-back singles. Wierzgac's double scored Toms and Josh Tate put down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt that scored Brown.

"A lot of plays go unnoticed," pointed out Brew. "Tate threw out two Oakland City runners trying to steal second and Brown and Nelo made key plays in the infield." The Flames again played errorless ball which has been a key to their late season surge.

Craig Peters started and suffered his first loss of the season for the Mighty Oaks. He lasted six innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs. Ethan Sparks came on for a pair of innings and surrendered four hits and three earned runs.
MASON, Ohio - Junior right-hander Logan Campbell hurled a four-hitter and Luke Toms supplied the bat power as the Lee Flames earned a spot in the semi-final round of the NCCAA World Series after a 6-0 victory over Oakland City (Ind.) on Thursday. Lee will close out pool play at 8 this evening when they test a strong NCAA Division II program, Oklahoma Christian.

"It's the first time I've pitched a complete nine-inning game," said Campbell (2-0) with a big smile spreading across his face after throwing only 102 pitches in posting the pitching win. Campbell was in complete command from start to finish. In fact, two of the four hits he allowed came in the ninth inning. He struck out five and walked two batters.

Toms gave the Flames a huge lift in the sixth inning when he blasted a 380-feet homer over the left-centerfield wall at Prasco Park. The Flames only had a 1-0 lead when Toms connected for his third four-bagger of the season.

"It was just a solid effort by our team all the way around," commented coach Brew after his Flames improved to 37-18-1 in the year. "It was a complete performance; excellent pitching, outstanding fielding and timely hitting. I'm really proud of this group. They have performed the way I expected in this tournament. The 3-0 start gives us a lot of pitching options heading into Friday evening."

Toms finished the day with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored. Nate Wierzgac continued his superior play in the field and at the plate. Not only did he make a sensational catch from his right-field position in the seventh inning, he also had a double, a single and collected a RBI.

Lee broke open a scoreless battle with two outs in the fourth inning. Toms singled, went to second after a walk to MJ Brown. He had third base stolen when Oakland City catcher fired the ball over the head of the third baseman and allowed Toms to score.

In the sixth, Trent Hill walked and Toms followed with his home run as the margin grew to 3-0. In the seventh, Chris Adams tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Andres Nelo. The final insurance run came in the eighth. Trent Hill and Toms put together back-to-back singles. Wierzgac's double scored Toms and Josh Tate put down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt that scored Brown.

"A lot of plays go unnoticed," pointed out Brew. "Tate threw out two Oakland City runners trying to steal second and Brown and Nelo made key plays in the infield." The Flames again played errorless ball which has been a key to their late season surge.

Craig Peters started and suffered his first loss of the season for the Mighty Oaks. He lasted six innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs. Ethan Sparks came on for a pair of innings and surrendered four hits and three earned runs.
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