CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Despite trailing 2-0 after six innings of play, the Auburn Montgomery Baseball Team fought back to score a pair of runs in the seventh and ninth innings to take game one of its Gulf South Conference Series at Lee University 4-2 on Friday, March 4.
 
The win improves AUM's record to 12-7 overall and 2-2 in GSC action.
                                      
Clayton Phillips drove in the eventual game-winning run in the top of the ninth on a bases-loaded single to right field, marking for five runs driven in over his last two games.
 
Brody Syer knocked a game-high two base hits, including a triple in inning number eight, to increase his current on-base streak to 19 games. Zach Dew and Joseph Hartsfield each knocked an RBI base hit in the seventh, with Dew also scoring a run in the inning.
 
Sam Steigert (1-1) earned the win in relief. The senior sidewinder needed just six pitches to record a pair of outs in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Clay Slagle (1) picked up his first career save for the Warhawks. The freshman righty retired the side in order in the ninth while striking out one to slam the door shut.  
 
Starting Pitcher Luke Turner gave up zero earned runs over the first four innings while striking out two in the no decision. Michael Myers tossed 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen while Mason Elmore added 0.2 innings of scoreless relief.
 
Lee scratched its only two runs of the game in the third, when a one-out throwing error by AUM left the door open for the Flames to pounce. A sac bunt, followed by a pair of RBI singles sandwiched between a two-out walk, accounted for the damage in the frame following the Warhawk miscue.
 
A two-error play by Lee put leadoff hitter Zach Feaster on second base to begin the seventh, who was later brought around by Dew to make it 2-1. A wild pitch combined with a Flame throwing error brought Dew to third, where he was brought in on a two-out knock from Hartsfield to tie the game at two-all.
 
A leadoff walk by Kasey Clark started the Warhawks' two-run ninth inning, and was followed by a Dew sac but, a walk by Caleb Beaver, and a hit batsman by Hartsfield to set the stage for Phillip's go-ahead blooper to right. Jackson Ceman would follow suit one batter later with an RBI groundout to add an insurance run and make it 4-2.
 
Despite being outhit by the Flames in the contest 8-6, the Warhawk pitching staff stranded nine Flame base runners. AUM was able to turn a pair of crucial double plays with two runners on to end both the fourth and fifth innings and keep Lee's run total at two.

Warhawk pitchers additionally combined to concede just three free passes while inducing eight ground-ball outs and 11 fly-outs.
 
The Warhawks will wrap up their weekend series at Lee with a pair of games on Saturday, March 5 beginning at 11:00 a.m. (CST).
 
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