ST. LOUIS - The Freed-Hardeman Lions needed a win today to take control of the conference role, and they got one.

A brilliant performance on the mound by Nolan Huber was key as the Lions (30-11, 16-5) defeated 11th-ranked Missouri Baptist, 5-2, to reclaim sole possession of first place in the American Midwest Conference standings.

With three conference games remain, Freed-Hardeman now controls its own destiny in searching for the program's third regular-season conference title and second under head coach Jonathan Estes.

Huber (5-2) allowed runs in the first and third innings as the Spartans took an early 2-1 lead, but the junior shut MBU down the rest of the game stranding 11 baserunners along the way. He allowed nine hits and struck out five.

The Lions then tied the game with a run in the fifth, took the lead with a run in the sixth and added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth innings on their way to taking the series.

J.C. Daily, Argenis Salazar, Garrett Ferguson, Griffin Siebert and Nathan Van Nortwick all had two hits, accounting for 10 of FHU's 11 on the day.

The win puts FHU a half-game ahead of William Woods (Mo.) and a game clear of Lyon (Ark.) heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Lions will spend that weekend visiting Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.), where a sweep will clinch the program's first American Midwest Conference championship.