Lee relief pitcher Kit Larson was a part of the final five outs in the Flames’ 6-5 victory over Tusculum College on Tuesday evening at Pioneer Park.
Larson came on in the bottom of the eighth inning and promptly struck out a pair of Pioneer hitters. In the ninth, he fanned two more batters and made a great play on a ground ball sandwiched between the two Ks. He picked up his second win of the year.
“Kit recorded some huge outs to get out of a jam in the eighth inning and we were able to turn two big double plays in the sixth and seventh innings.
Tusculum has a really good team, so it's a quality win for us,” explained Lee head coach Mark Brew.
The Flames improved to 26-21 and Tusculum dropped to 27-18. Lee also gained revenge for an earlier loss to the Pioneers at Olympic Field on March 28. “It was a hard fought win for our team. We had a plan to throw lots of guys tonight and we really did a good job from the sixth inning on,” commented Brew.
The Flames head for Pensacola, Fla. and will be pitted against the University of West Florida in their final regular-season series on Saturday and Sunday.
Lee jumped out to a 3-2 lead after three innings. In the first inning, Tyler Payne, who had three hits on the evening, singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Geremy Walton. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Nate Wierzgac.
The Pioneers rebounded with a run of their own but the Flames came back with another solo run in the second. Jordan Howard stroked a double and took third on a bunt by Spencer Mossburg. He scored on a single by Zack Zyburt.
Once again, Tusculum tied the game in the bottom of the second before Lee tallied a single run in the third. With two outs, Wierzgac had a one-base knock and Drew Johnson walked. Both runners took second and third on another wild pitch by the Pioneer pitcher. Wierzgac scored on a Pioneer passed ball.
Lee moved out to a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth. Payne started another rally with a one-base hit and Walton reached on an infield hit. Wierzgac picked up a RBI with a single. Howard ripped his second two-base hit of the night that drove Walton across the plate.
Tusculum rallied with three runs in the bottom of the same inning to tie the game again at five and the score remained deadlocked until the top of the ninth. With two outs, Wierzgac collected his third hit. Johnson doubled and Wierzgac, who had advanced to third, scored what turned out to be the winning run on a throwing error by the Pioneers.
The Flames banged out 13 hits in the win. Payne scored a pair of runs to go along with his three knocks, while Wierzgac crossed the dish twice and also posted a pair of RBI to push his total to 40 on the year. Howard and Mossburg also had two hits.
“Wierzgac continues to swing the bat well,” Brew added. “It was great to see Payne, Mossburg, and Howard have good nights. Drew had the big swing with the double in the ninth to score Wierzgac from first after the shortstop misplayed the relay throw. Overall, I liked our aggressiveness at the plate.”
The Flames used six pitchers before calling on Larson to save the contest in the eighth and ninth. Jumpei Akanuma started and pitched a pair of innings. He allowed two earned runs. Michael Ray and John Reese Gilmer hurled a pair of scoreless innings, while Corbin Lamb was called on for two-thirds of a frame. Joe Parete and Jay Prior were successful for 1.1 innings but Prior walked three hitters before Larson was summoned to the mound.
The Flames used seven pitchers before calling on Larson to save the contest in the eighth and ninth. Jumpei Akanuma started and pitched one inning. Christian Bokich, Michael Ray, John Reese Gilmer and Corbin Lamb followed. Joe Parete and Jay Prior were successful for 1.1 innings but Prior walked three hitters before Larson was summoned to the mound.