In one of the wildest games veteran coach Mark Brew and his staff have probably ever witnessed, Lee watched a 13-0 lead disappear in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings and then hold on for a 13-12 victory over host Mississippi College on Sunday afternoon.
On the other hand, the Flames had exploded for nine runs in the top of the sixth inning and appeared to have the contest in cruise control and coasting towards a seventh-inning run rule when the Choctaws came battling back.
Before the seventh inning ended, Brew had sent six different pitchers to the mound before senior Kyle Briner was finally able to quite the Mississippi College bats somewhat, but the Choctaws were far from being finished on a Senior Day Sunday.
They came right back with four more runs in the bottom of the eighth and had the Lee staff and fans on the edge of their seats before Briner finally recorded three straight outs in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a very important Lee victory and pick up his third save.
Trent Hill (6-2) was the starting Lee pitcher and the senior lefty left the contest after five innings.
He picked up the pitching win allowing only two hits, striking out four and walking three. Hill also delivered at the plate, blasting a pair of two-run homers. He now has seven homeruns and 41 RBI for the year.
Tyler Payne paced Lee’s 15-hit attack with three singles. He also drove in a pair of runs and scored three times. MJ Brown and Nate Wierzgac delivered a double and a single. Brown had a RBI and scored two runs, while Wierzgac followed with a RBI and a run scored. Geremy Walton added to the hitting barrage with a couple of singles. He posted a RBI and scored once.
The Choctaws battled back with two-run homers by Blaine Crim and Will Elliott. Hunter Bolin had two hits and three RBI and Hunter Hall also garnered three hits in Mississippi College’s 13-hit attack.
The victory sets the stage for a final week of Gulf South Conference play as only six of the 10 teams eligible for the GSC tournament will be putting it all on the line. The Flames (18-10) are currently in fifth place and will be hosting league-leading West Florida (23-7) in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
West Alabama (21-9) will be at Alabama Huntsville (20-10). Delta State (21-9) will entertain Mississippi College. Union University will be at West Georgia (19-11), while Valdosta State (16-12) will be at North Alabama. It will likely be Sunday afternoon before at least four teams out of six who qualify for the tourney will be determined.