Shorter (Ga.) Baseball Ends #2 Lee's (Tenn.) 34-game Win Streak, Take First Game 3-0, Second 4-2 :: Hawks take two out of three in crucial SSAC series

	Shorter (Ga.) pitching was superb on Saturday allowing just two runs in the doubleheader sweep of No. 2 Lee

March 29, 2008

ROME, Ga. -- The Shorter (Ga.) College Hawks baseball team stunned nationally-ranked No. 2 Lee (Tenn.) University on Saturday afternoon (March 29), breaking up the Flames' 34-game win streak and giving Shorter the series victory.

Shorter won the first game 3-0, and took the second one 4-2.

In the first game, the Hawks (12-23, 5-13) got on the board in the bottom of the third. Following a Brandon Ponder single and a Mark Charrette walk, Shannon Houston knocked in both runners on an RBI double to make the game 2-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Shorter put an insurance run on the board, as Houston hit an RBI single scoring Dustan Cantrell, putting the Hawks up 3-0 allowing for the shutout victory.

Houston finished the game 3-for-3 with three RBI and Ponder was 2-for-3.

Daniel Gandia pitched the complete game shutout for Shorter, with three hits, two strikeouts and only one walk. Lee's Mason picked up the loss.

The second game fared just as well for the Hawks. In the bottom of the third inning, Cantrell walked, Charette singled, and both runners advanced on a pass ball. A fielder's choice from Trevor Miller sent Cantrell home, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead over the Flames (37-3, 16-2).

After a one-run third from Lee, Shorter kept battling as Cantrell scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Lee error.

The Flames again tied things in the sixth, but the bottom of the inning proved to be too much for Lee. Jake Broome started the inning out by being hit-by-pitch and advanced on a Lee error, allowing Ibrahim Lopez to reach first. Ryan Murphy proved to be the game saver for the Hawks as he hit a two-RBI single, giving Shorter the 4-2 lead and the win.

Alexis Fortis pitched 6.1 innings for Shorter, giving up just four hits, and striking out six.

"This was a long-awaited day for our team," said head coach Matt Larry. "We came out today and knew what it would take to pull away with wins. We had excellent pitching efforts in both games, and our hitters came in and gave them the run support they needed."

Shorter continues play on Wednesday at they meet Lambuth (Tenn.) University halfway in Decatur, Ala., for a two-game doubleheader.