The Lee softball team split a doubleheader with No. 21 Alabama Huntsville to wrap up the opening conference series from Butler Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Flames (10-5, 1-2) will now step outside of conference for doubleheader at Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday before welcoming Delta State to town for a three-game set starting Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Chargers (11-4, 2-1) will return home and welcome West Georgia in for a three-game series next Saturday.
GAME TWO – LEE 6 UAH 3
Thanks to solid pitching from Leigh Beatenbough (4-3) and Taylor Moran the Lady Flames avoided the sweep with a 6-3 victory over the Chargers in Sunday's nightcap.
Beatenbough allowed just three hits and three runs in five innings.
She worked around six walks and struck out four. Moran tossed the final two innings to earn her second save of the season.
The Chargers left 10 runners on base and had trouble finding the timely throughout both contests. Lee stranded nine runners.
Stevie Baird launched her first home run of the season down the right field line in the fourth inning to give the Lady Flames a 3-0 cushion. Baird finished with two hits and three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Brooklynn Frazier followed with a run-scoring single to put the home team up 4-0.
Alabama Huntsville responded with three runs in the fifth. Shannon Long tripled to deep right to score Caroline Burns. Reagan Malone delivered an RBI groundout and Brooke Miller drew a bases loaded walk. Beatenbough worked out of the jam however leaving the bases loaded while preserving a one-run lead.
Lee added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth frame. Brooklynn Frazier singled home a run and came home to score herself on a double steal.
Taylor Doriety (0-1) was tagged with the loss as she gave up two runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. Saturday's winner Tyler Harrison came on in relief and pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits to go along with four punch outs.
Courtney Crawford singled and scored two runs. Moran also singled twice while Zoe Miller legged out her third double of the season.
Katinlyn Bannister doubled and walked twice and is now hitting .727 on the year for the Chargers. Haley Thompson and Malone also singled as Huntsville had just four hits but had plenty of base runners with seven walks.
GAME ONE – LEE 6 UAH 11
Despite jumping out to a 5-1 lead after one inning the Lee softball team dropped a slugfest with Alabama Huntsville, 11-6 in game one.
The Chargers had 12 hits led by Bannister who was 4 for 5 with a home run, four RBI and four runs scored. The Alabama club had plenty of opportunities to add on but left 17 runners on base in the contest.
After the five run first the Chargers responded the very next half inning putting three runs on the board thanks to a two-run single by Bannister and a bases loaded walk from Miller. UAH put things out of reach with four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
Lee added a run in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Crawford to cut the lead to 8-6. The Lady Flames appeared poised to add more before a questionable out call on a force play at second stifled the rally.
Miller and Moran led the Lady Flames offensively. Moran doubled, singled and drove in two while Miller had two base knocks and scored a pair. Crawford and Baird set the table at the top of the order for Lee with two hits each.
Abby McKinney recorded a no-decision as she tossed the first four innings for Lee in the circle. She allowed four runs on four hits while having to work around eight walks. Moran (1-1) was the losing pitcher. She allowed seven runs (six earned) in 1 1/3 innings of work. Hailey Clark settled things down in the end, working 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Emily Glover (6-1) went the distance for the Chargers. She scattered 12 hits and gave up six runs (five earned) while striking out seven.