COLUMBIA, Mo. - One rally fell short. The other didn't.

The Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions opened conference play on the road at Columbia (Mo.) with a split, losing 8-7 in the first game before winning the finale, 6-4, on a grand slam by freshman Mallory Spurlock.

Both games came down to the seventh inning with FHU (7-6, 1-1) trailing. The deficit was larger in the first game, trailing 8-3 heading into the final frame. The Lady Lions erased four runs off the deficit, thanks in large part to a bases-loaded double by Amanda Bond. Katie Sholl pinch-ran for Bond and came around to score on a Lauren Bradley single, but was stranded at first as the tying run.

Freed-Hardeman led game two, 2-0, through four innings before the Cougars scored four in the fifth. The Lady Lions looked poised to answer in the sixth but left the bases loaded. They then loaded the bases again in the seventh, and Spurlock was put in to pinch-hit.

The freshman delivered big, driving a 2-2 pitch over the centerfield wall for her third home run of the season, putting FHU back up 6-4.

Kamara Trice (4-1) then closed things out in the seventh, stranding two runners with the go-ahead run at the plate.

Bond had a big day, going a combined 5-for-7 with five RBIs. Bradley went 2-for-4 in both games while Kohnley Wade went 3-for-4 in the second game. Jessica Weeks went 3-for-4 in the first game and Caitlyn Carter went 2-for-3.

Spurlock (3-3) was tagged with the loss in game one, allowing seven runs in 4.1 innings before giving way to Baylee Terranova.

NOTES AND NUMBERS: The Lady Lions continued to hit the ball well, pounding out 22 hits in the double-header today. FHU was hitting .323 coming into the day…FHU has now hit 10 home runs on the season. The Lady Lions only had 16 all of last season.

UP NEXT: The Lady Lions travel to Stephens (Mo.) on Saturday for a double-header to complete the road trip to Columbia.