Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. - It might have taken eight innings to do it in both games, but the Freed-Hardeman Lady Lion Softball team picked up a sweep of Blue Mountain College with a 4-3 victory in the opening game followed by a 7-6 win in the nightcap.

In the opening game, FHU (15-8) relied on a late rally to pick up the victory. After falling behind 2-0 early in the game, the Lady Lions put together a two-run fifth inning to even things up at two apiece and eventually force extra innings.

Annaka Baxter got the scoring drive started with a triple to deep right field and scored later in the inning following a fielder's choice by Abbi Gooch. Gooch would also make her way around the base path to plate FHU's second run of the game following an RBI single by Makenzie Prince to even things up at two apiece.

Both teams failed to capitalize with any runs in the final two innings of the game, which resulted in the International Tie Breaker. Blue Mountain (7-11) struck first in the top of the eighth inning, as Kaitlin Bradley crossed the plate for the Toppers.

However, the Lady Lions would not go down without a fight, as they battled back in the bottom half of the inning to score two runs of their own to take the 4-3 victory. Makenzie Prince started the inning at second base as a result of the International Tie Breaker rule and crossed the plate first for the Lady Lions following an error by Topper third baseman Cheyenne Childress to even things up at three apiece. The game-winning run for the Lady Lions came in the form of an RBI single from Brittan Jarrell to score Annalise Jarnagin and give FHU the 4-3 victory.

Makenzie Prince picked up the win for the Lady Lions in the opening game after working all eight innings and allowing just six hits and two earned runs while striking out seven.

The momentum continued for the Lady Lions in the nightcap, as they were able to secure a 7-6 victory, once again in an extra inning affair. Similar to the first game of the day, the Lady Lions fell behind early, as Blue Mountain pulled ahead 2-0 with one run in the first inning and another in the third inning.

However, as they have done all season long, the Lady Lions battled back to plate six runs of their own, highlighted by a five-run sixth inning to give FHU a 6-2-lead. Mallory Spurlock pounded out her second home run of the season in the first at bat of the inning to set the tone.

However, despite FHU pulling ahead four runs in the game, the Toppers would not let the Lady Lions secure the victory in regulation, as they pushed four runs across in the top half of the seventh inning to even things up at six apiece to once again force extra innings.

The Lady Lions; however, would regroup in the eighth inning, as they shut down the Toppers at the plate and pushed one run across in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the 7-6 victory. Abbi Gooch contributed the lone RBI single in the game to score the game-winning run.

Mallory Spurlock secured the win for the Lady Lions in the nightcap, as she worked all eight innings of the game and allowed 10 hits while striking out an impressive 11 batters.

With the sweep, the Lady Lions move to 15-8 on the season. Blue Mountain falls to 7-11 on the season with the loss.

UP NEXT: The Lady Lions are back in action Friday, March 23rd, as they host a double-header with Stephens College scheduled for 2:00 PM at Morgan Stadium.