MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Four AUM pitchers combined to strike out a season-high 15 batters as the Warhawks defeated Lee, 6-5, in the first game of a 3-game series at QV Lowe Field on Friday.
 
Clay Slagle (1-1) fanned eight in five innings to help AUM (5-10, 2-5 Gulf South) snap a 6-game losing skid. Brett Pitts struck out the only batter he faced in the ninth to earn his second save of the season. Will Passeau and Lucas Baggett allowed just one run on four hits while setting down six in 3.2 innings of relief as well.
 
Kyle Hipp went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Warhawks combined for eight hits. Tyrese Rooks and Brendan York both extended their hitting streaks to 12 games.
 
For Lee (9-7, 3-4), Gavin Baxter had three hits, including a home run. Cooper Casteel (2-1) took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in six innings.
 
AUM struck first, loading the bases in the first inning when Cole Strachan was hit by a pitch, bringing home York.
 
Lee loaded the bases in the next inning before Slagle was called for a balk, allowing Levi Cloud to score. Slagle got out of the jam with a strikeout and a tapper back to the mound.
 
The Flames took the lead in the third when Malachi Cloud lined a double inside the third base bag that scored Isaiah French from second.
 
In the fourth, Ryan Valdes singled and scored on Baxter's home run to left.
 
The Warhawks battled back and regained the lead in the fourth with four runs on a pair of Flames errors. Strachan singled and then moved to third on JC Tunnell's bunt. Tunnell made it to second on the bunt when Casteel's throw was wild at first. Both Warhawks scored on Tucker Burns' chopper over the bag at third. Hayden Grier was hit by a pitch and later tied it when he came home on a second throwing error by Casteel. The Warhawks went up 5-4 when Burns scored on Hipp's sacrifice fly to right.
 
In the seventh, the Warhawks extended their lead to 6-4. Grier hit a high chopper to third that went off Baxter's glove as he was leaping to field the ball, allowing Zach Dew to score.
 
The Flames tried to rally in the ninth as Isaiah French led off with a solo shot to left center, trimming the margin to 6-5.
 
The series will continue Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.