Taylor Hodges, Sports Information Director

ASHLAND, Mo. – The Lions (16-5, 8-1 AMC) were able to take two of three against Columbia (9-8, 5-4 AMC) after falling 6-1 in game two of the series, but bouncing back with an 8-6 win in the final game.

After dropping their first conference game of the year in the early matchup on Friday morning, the Lions came out hot in the final game, pouring the runs on the Cougars.

It started with Christian Busby, who hit a three-run homerun to make it a 4-0 game in the top of the second inning after Zach Sanders brought in Collin McPherson on a fielder's choice.

The Cougars got back two of those runs after hitting a homerun in the bottom half of the inning and adding one more to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the third, but Freed-Hardeman didn't let up, scoring one run in the top of the fourth from a wild pitch that scored Sanders.

They added two more in the top of the fifth when Josh Sears hit his second solo shot of the series to lead off the inning and McPherson tagged up and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dom Pisano.

After Columba scored their fourth run of the game to make it 7-4, the Lions were able to add one more to extend the lead to four in the top of the eighth when Pisano scored on an error.

The Cougars would get two more runs back in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run homerun, the ninth total long ball of the series.

Austin Steel got the win on the mound after going seven and one-thirds innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Tyler Duskin and Landon Sewell entered the game in the eighth and ninth innings to finish off the win.

Game one of the day and two of the series was all Columbia.

They led 5-0 at one point in the game after the Cougars hit back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the fourth.

The Lions got one run back in the top of the sixth when Sears hit is first homerun of the series, but the Cougars answered in the bottom half with a solo shot of their own.

The Lions are scheduled for a single-game matchup with Roosevelt College on Monday at 1 p.m. at home, but there could be a schedule change. Stayed tuned to www.gofhulions.com for updates.