Box Score JACKSON, Tenn. - In last year's TranSouth Conference tournament, the event opened with the sixth-seeded team upsetting the tournament's top seed. It happened again this year, as Freed-Hardeman was upset by Blue Mountain (Miss.) College, 8-7.
The Toppers (23-29) scored five times in the bottom of the first, and the deficit proved to be too much for FHU (36-20) to overcome.
The Lions trailed 6-0 after two innings as BMC got to
Hunter Newby (5-6) early. Freed-Hardeman battled back with one in the third and three in the fifth but the Toppers responded with runs in the fifth and sixth innings to hold an 8-4 lead going into the seventh.
Joe Mike's two-out, two-run double in the top of the seventh pulled the Lions back within two, and
Ben Ihde's infield single brought
Robert Prieto home from third to make it a one-run game.
Meanwhile,
Amos Bingham gave the Lions a chance to stay in the game throwing in relief of Newby. The senior was perfect over 2-1/3 innings, striking out three.
Mike led off the top of the ninth with a single, his fourth hit of the game, and advanced to second on a
Jake Todd sacrifice bunt. But Hunter Mize retired
Kyle Dearing and
Justin Mackey to end the game and give the Toppers the upset.
FHU out-hit Blue Mountain, 14-9, and was the beneficiary of five Topper errors but the Lions stranded 13 runners on base. Freed-Hardeman now faces an elimination game tomorrow at noon where it will face Cumberland (Tenn.) University.
