ST. LOUIS - The Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions got off to a good start in conference play scoring a pair of close wins over Missouri Baptist on Friday afternoon, 3-1 and 2-1 in eight innings.

FHU (4-11, 2-0) got solid performances in the circle from Sarah Elizabeth Cousar and Kamara Trice, who both held the Spartans to one run in their starts.

Cousar pitched out of a few tight spots including a two-on, no-out situation in the first inning. She stranded eight runners while allowing five hits and striking out four.

Trice allowed a run in the first, but shut down Missouri Baptist for the rest of the game. She allowed seven hits and walked one, stranding six runners.

Freshman Amanda Bond capped off the sweep with a walkoff two-out single in the bottom of the eighth after FHU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.

Bond also got the rally started in the seventh with a lead-off double. Pinch-runner Haley Craig came around to score and tie the game when second baseman Corey Pitchford mishandled a ball hit by Natalie Nelson.

Jessica Weeks led off the eighth with her third hit, eventually advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Trice. Bond fouled off five straight pitches in the at-bat to stay alive before delivering the game-winner.

In game one, the Lady Lions struck early on a two-run single by Trice in the top of the first. Those two runs would prove to be enough, although FHU added a run in the fifth on an RBI double by Cousar. The Spartans got the run back in the bottom of the inning but Cousar kept them off the board in the final two innings.

Trice, Bond and Kohnley Wade all went 2-for-4 in the first contest. Weeks went 3-for-3 in the finale while Bond was 2-for-4 again.

The Lady Lions finish the weekend road trip with a 1:00 PM double-header against Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) on Saturday.