CLEVELAND, Tenn. – No. 23 UWF baseball (25-11, 15-5 GSC) won the series at Lee (21-18, 13-8 GSC) Sunday, taking the first game of a doubleheader 7-2 to clinch the set before falling 10-2 in the series finale.
The Argos have now won or split six straight conference series. Matthew Jones and Jacob Silverstein each went deep to power the Argos in Game 1. Matt Sullivan added two RBIs. Matthew Estrada reached base four times in the doubleheader.
Game 1: UWF 7, Lee 2
Dylan Mills-Derouen (4-0) got the start for the Argos in the first game of the twinbill, and turned in an excellent performance. The lefty spun seven innings of two-run ball, striking out seven while allowing just four hits and one walk. The junior picked up his fourth win by allowing just two runs (one earned) and throwing 105 pitches.
"I was really proud of the way we played," said UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "Mills threw a great game in the first game today to clinch the series. It was one of those days where we had a lot of momentum going, swung the bats fairly well and really just kind of controlled the game."
The Argos built him an early lead in the first on an RBI single by Joey Bend that scored Estrada and made it 1-0. Jones extended the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run in the fourth.
Lee tagged Mills-Derouen for two runs (one earned) in the fourth, but UWF quickly reclaimed the lead, scoring three times in the fifth. The frame was highlighted by a two-RBI single from Sullivan, who brought home Jones and Bend to run the lead to 5-2.
Silverstein smashed a two-run homer to right in the sixth to make it 7-2. Jared Middleton finished the game on the mound behind Mills-Derouen, striking out four over the final two frames.
"Silver's done a nice job at the top of the order," said Jeffcoat. "He's done a nice job of filling in and kind of making the adjustment at the top of the order."
Jumpei Akunama (4-2) suffered the loss for Lee after going 4.2 innings and surrendering five runs (five earned) and seven hits. Estrada, Bend and Jones all finished with two hits.
Game 2: Lee 10, UWF 2
Kirk Maddox (3-4) got the start for the Argos in Game 2 and was tagged for two runs in the first on a home run by Jordan Howard.
The Argos quickly got back in the game, scoring twice in the second. Nick Kerkmann picked up an RBI with a base hit that scored Jones. He later came in on a wild pitch from Flames starter Pat Morrow (4-0).
"We had a 2-2 game heading to the bottom of the fourth, and the wheels just kind of came off, making some mental mistakes and not communicating on the defensive end," said Jeffcoat. "But give Lee credit: they swung the bats great."
Lee tagged Maddox and relievers Josh Pahlad, Hunter Lucas, and Whitt Davis for eight runs from the fourth through the eighth. The Argos loaded the bases in the fifth and nearly tied what was then a 6-2 game when Sullivan sent a fly ball all the way to the wall in left that was reeled in by outfielder Dalton Ney.
Logan Workman picked up his second save of the season for Lee. Kerkmann and Robert Lopez were the only Argos with multiple hits. Lee outhit UWF 10-5. The loss was just the third in the last 23 games for UWF and the first time the team has lost a game by more than three runs since falling to North Alabama 12-5 on Feb. 26.
UWF will next host Auburn Montgomery (15-21, 5-15 GSC) in a three-game series that will start at 6:00 p.m. Friday.
"We want to get a good week of practice in," said Jeffcoat. "It's a little bit shorter of a week, playing on Friday night and then the double on Saturday. Two more weekends at home - we want to take advantage of playing at home."
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