The 10th-ranked Lee ladies lost to Belhaven University on Thursday to place them in the one-loss portion of the bracket. No. 12 Shorter moves on to face the University of Mobile in the next round.
Much like Thursday’s contest, the Lady Flames fell behind early and struggled to create any offensive momentum. Shorter scored in each of the first three innings, and added single insurance runs in the fifth and sixth, as the Lady Flames failed to scratch any runs.
Freshman Jessa Watts (17-6) started and worked five innings for the Lady Flames, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, striking out one and walking two.
Katie Deems came on to work one inning of relief, allowing a single run. Kelsey Barnes, Ana Coscorrosa, and Charlie Wooden each earned a single hit in the loss.
Kayla Byrom was solid in the circle for Shorter (44-10), tossing the six-inning shutout to move to 5-2. She allowed the three Lee hits and struck out two Lady Flames without allowing a free pass.
The Lady Hawks tallied 11 hits, including home runs by Amanda Dailey and Bre Johnson. Johnson led the team with three hits, knocking in two and scoring twice.
Catcher Sarah Corn and first baseman Whitney Hood each added a pair of hits for the Lady Hawks.
The Lady Flames now stand at 46-10 overall for the season. The SSAC East Division champions will wait to see if they earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships, May 17-23, in Gulf Shores, Ala.
