OXFORD, Ala. – It took two days but the third-ranked University of West Florida Baseball team was able hold off Lee University by a final of 10-7, on Monday afternoon at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama at the Gulf South Conference Tournament.  The two teams started the game on Sunday night before play was suspended due to lightning.
 
With the win, UWF moves to 32-8 on the year while Lee drops to 34-9. West Florida will now advance to the GSC Tournament final, where they will host a three-game series at Jim Spooner Field against the winner of Delta State/Alabama Huntsville.
 
"We had an eight-run inning with O'Shea's grand-slam being the highlight and it gave us all the momentum before the rain stopped us," said UWF Head Coach Mike Jeffcoat. "I thought the energy was there for us today but their left-hander (Andrew Franklin) just pitched very well and kept our offense in check.  They made this game very close, but I'm very proud of the resiliency of this team to add a big run on the board late. We came here to win the game and we did just that."
 
UWF had another big night offensively as they racked up 13 total hits, which was the 29th game this season that the team has totaled 10 or more hits.  It was also the 14th time in 2021 that the Argos have scored 10 or more runs. Cullan O'Shea led the way for the Argonaut offense as the lefty went three for five with three runs scored and four runs batted in.  Tying the Argo single-season record with a hit in 29 straight games, Dylan Menhennett extended his hitting streak with two more hits in the contest while Matthew Estrada and Justin Dunnam had two hits as well.
 
The Argos used four different pitchers in the contest with Ryan Brewer throwing on Sunday night with Josh Pahlad, Sean Means, Alex Knight and Brendon Case coming in on Monday.  Brewer, Pahlad and Case each had two strikeouts apiece.
 
Lee got on the board in the first with an Alan Smith single that scored Thomas Zazzaro.  UWF quickly struck in the bottom of the frame with Estrada singling up the middle to score O'Shea with two outs.  The Flames scored a run each in the second and third innings to go up 3-1 through two and a half innings.
 
It was the bottom of the third that the Argo offense really got going as the hosts scored eight runs to break the game open.  O'Shea and Menhennett opened the frame with back-to-back doubles to make it 3-2, before a single by Sam Clement with the bases loaded plated two more to give UWF their first lead of the ballgame at 4-3. With the single by Clement, Lee turned to closer, Andy Rivera, to relieve Alan Carter, who got the start.
 
A one-out single by Tyler Dowdy added another run on the board, before the inning's 10th batter, O'Shea unloaded on a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded to hit his first career grand-slam and put the contest at 9-3.  With the home run, it was O'Shea's eighth of the year which tied Menhennett for the team lead in that category.
 
After the game was suspended, the Flames quickly restarted the game with three runs in the first three innings on Monday.  Pahlad threw 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts, before he was relieved by Means who would get the final two outs of the sixth inning.
 
With the game in the balance, West Florida turned to the bullpen duo of Knight and Case.  The right-handers delivered as they threw three innings, and combined to only allow one run on two hits with three strikeouts between them.  Knight would earn his third win of the year, with Case receiving his sixth save of the year.

"They've been great," Jeffcoat continued. "Knight did a tremendous job and this was the first game that Case has pitched for us this tournament, and similar to all the guys out of our bullpen, he did a tremendous job."
 
The Argos would only score one run on Monday, adding a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.  Hancock doubled down the left-field line to lead-off the frame, advancing to third on a flyout by O'Shea before coming home on a sacrifice fly by Menhennett.  Menhennett tied O'Shea on the play as he recorded his 41st RBI of the year.
 
Brewer got the start for the Argos, as the right-hander went three innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and a strikeout.
 
Carter took the loss for the Flames as he allowed six runs on five hits.  Landon Silver had three hits and scored two runs for LU, with Alan Smith and Colton Yeager adding two hits each for the Flames.

For the latest on the UWF Baseball Team, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball.