Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEW ALBANY, Miss. - The Freed-Hardeman Lions scored five runs in the eighth inning, rallying to take the opening game of a three-game series from Blue Mountain (Miss.) College, 8-5, on Friday night.

Four of those runs came with two outs in the inning with Kyle Dearing's RBI single tying the game at 5-5 after a Kirkland Wheeler single and Jesse Hykes walk put two runners on base. After Justin Mackey drew a walk to load the bases, the Lions took the lead after an error by BMC shortstop Ben Wallace led to all three runners coming around to score.

Joe Mike accounted for the other run in the eighth with a one-out solo home run, his first of the year.

The Lions held a 3-1 lead after three innings but the Toppers got a run in the fifth followed by three in the sixth to take their first lead of the ballgame, taking advantage of two errors by FHU reliever Amos Bingham.

Evan Mansell's fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot, gave Freed-Hardeman a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Dearing put the Lions on the board in the second with an RBI single, but FHU missed a chance to put more runs up early after leaving the bases loaded.

Lion starter Andy Southard got a no-decision in five innings of work. He allowed 10 hits but only two runs, stranding eight runners. Bingham (2-3) picked up the win in relief while Drew Suttles closed the door with two scoreless innings for his fourth save of the season.

The Lions pounded out 15 hits, led by Wheeler's 3-for-5 performance. Dearing, Mansell, Robert Prieto, Leamond Arthur and Lincoln Lakoff each had two hits.

The series concludes with a double-header on Saturday beginning at 1:00 PM.