SCORES

Game 1: Lee 5, Montevallo 4

Game 2: Lee 9, Montevallo 7

RECORDS

Montevallo (0-2)

Lee (2-0)

LOCATION

Butler Field (Cleveland, Tennessee)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Montevallo dropped a 5-4 contest in its season opener before falling on the road at Lee 9-7 in the nightcap on the first day of the 2017 season.

The Falcons jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the season opener with two runs in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by junior Kelsey Vining and a RBI double by freshman Haley Barnette.

Lee scored four unanswered runs to take a 4-2 lead before a RBI doubles by junior Dylan Bailey and sophomore Kendra Buckley tied the game in the top of the fourth inning.

The Flames scored the game-winning run in the opener on a RBI single by Bailey Church in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Vining scored the Falcons' first run in the top of the first inning in the nightcap on an error by the Flames before Lee plated six runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 6-1 lead.

Freshman Holly LaForce highlighted a three-run frame in the top of the second inning with a RBI single to trim the deficit to 6-4. Lee scored three unanswered runs to push its lead to 9-4 before a RBI double by Barnette in the top of the third inning cut the deficit to four runs.

Vining plated the final two runs in the game with her first home run of the season, a two-run blast in the top of the fourth inning.

STAT OF THE DAY

Freshman Haley Barnette finished 3-for-7 at the plate with a pair of doubles in the doubleheader in her first collegiate action. Barnette drove in two runs and scored one run in the doubleheader.

UP NEXT

The Falcons will travel to Columbus, Georgia this weekend for the Southern Softball Showdown between the Peach Belt Conference and the Gulf South Conference. Montevallo opens the weekend Saturday, Feb. 4 with a contest against Shorter University with first pitch set for 11 a.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Central.