Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

WALESKA, Ga. - The Freed-Hardeman Lady Lion softball team battled the entire way Friday evening in the opening day of the Reinhardt Invitational, but in the end they came up just short with a 2-1 loss to Bryan College and a 5-4 loss to No. 14 Reinhardt University on the road in Waleska, Ga.

"We faced two really good teams today," said Todd Humphry, head coach for the Lady Lion softball team. "However, we did not show up to play today and when you do that you are not going to do well. We had a few players with some solid individual performances, but overall we must do better as a team."

The Lady Lions (4-2) started the day with a match-up with Bryan College, a game that turned out to be a low scoring affair with Bryan needing just two runs to come away with the win.

Hannah Wright suffered the loss for FHU in the opening game, as she worked 2 and 1/3 innings and allowed seven hits and two earned runs while striking out one batter. Mallory Spurlock provided 3 and 2/3 innings of relief and allowed just three hits while striking out an impressive five batters.

Olivia Johnson picked up the win for Bryan College (2-8), as she worked a complete game and allowed just five hits while striking out two batters. Bryan's offense also found momentum, as they out-hit FHU 10-5 in the match-up, including four hits in the bottom of the second inning, where they scored their only two runs of the game.

Despite trailing 2-0 for a majority of the game, the Lady Lions kept things interesting in the top part of the seventh inning, as Annaka Baxter smashed a triple and scored FHU's lone run in the game following a single by Hannah Wright. However, despite the late rally, the Lady Lions came up just short, as they sufered the 2-1 loss.

The tale was much of the same in FHU's nightcap match-up with No. 14 Reinhardt University, as the Lady Lions rallied late, but came up just short in the 5-4 loss.

Makenzie Prince (2-1) suffered her first loss of the season, as she worked 6 and 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits while striking out three batters. Maddie Szalewski picked up the win for the Eagles (6-0), as she worked a complete game and allowed nine hits while striking out one batter.

The Lady Lions got on the board first in the match-up, as Caitlyn Carter singled up the middle to get the scoring drive started. Carter scored later in the inning following a fielder's choice by Hannah Wright to put FHU up 1-0.

However, Reinhardt would not go down without a fight, as they responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning following a Witney Bones two-run homerun to put the Eagles up 2-1.

The Eagles added two more runs to their tally with one run in the bottom of the third inning and another in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend their lead to three runs at the 4-1 mark with one inning to play.

However, similar to FHU's opening game of the Invitational, the Lady Lions would not be done without first demonstrating some late heroics in the form of three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Kaylyn Graham got the drive started for the Lady Lions with a single to right field while Kristen Hunsicker followed with a walk to put two runners on with one out.

Lilly Bombard took care of things from there, as she pounded out a triple to deep left field to score pinch runner MattiAnne Sparks and Hunsicker to pull FHU within one run at the 4-3 mark. Bombard would also score in the inning following a single by Caitlyn Carter to even things up at four apiece.

However, despite the late rally, the Lady Lions would come up just short, as Reinhardt put together a late rally of their own to push one run across in the bottomn of the seventh inning to hand FHU the 5-4 loss.

With the Friday sweep, the Lady Lions fall to 4-2 on the season. Bryan College improves to 2-8 on the season while Reinhardt University remains unbeaten on the season with a record of 6-0.

UP NEXT: The Lady Lions resume play in the Reinhardt Invitational Saturday with a 1:00 PM match-up with Bryan College followed by a 3:00 PM game against No. 7 Georgia Gwinnett in Waleska, Ga.