May 6, 2022

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Hitting the diamond for the first time since April 23, the (20) Freed-Hardeman University Lions showed no rust, tallying 16 hits in an 11-4 victory over Bethel (Tenn.) University in the quarterfinals of the Mid-South Conference Baseball Championship.

Despite falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, Freed-Hardeman (35-13, 19-5 MSC) answered back in style. Chrisitan Presley led off the Lion offense by being hit by a pitch. Sean Rooney followed up with a single that advanced Presley to third. A wild pitch would see Presley step on the dish to put the Lions on the board. After back-to-back outs, William Kelley (9) put FHU on top with a towering home run that cleared the deepest part of the park to score both Rooney and himself to put FHU ahead 3-2.

Bethel (18-23, 13-10 MSC) did not allow the lead to last long, scoring a run in the top of the second frame to tie the quarterfinal game. Freed-Hardeman would then use the home half of the second to see to it that the Wildcats would be unable to climb back as easily, plating five runs.

Hunter Beecham led off the inning with a single but did not remain on base long, scoring thanks to Mason Libla's RBI double to left-center. After Presley reached on a fielder's choice, a pick-off attempt was thrown errantly to allow Libla's courtesy runner, Adam Smithson, to score the second run of the inning. Will McCall's RBI single up the middle then brought Presley home. Ryan Stark put a cap on the big inning with a two-RBI single through the left side to score McCall and Zach Sanders, who has singled earlier in the inning. The Lions would take the 8-3 lead into the sixth inning with Bethel cutting into the Lion lead by scoring one.

Kent Rooklin led off the top of the seven with a walk which was followed by back-to-back singles from Stark and Beecham. Libla's sacrifice fly allowed Rooklin to tap home. A double-steal did not end quite like the Lions planned, with one runner thrown out, but the consolation prize came with Stark being able to score the 10th Lion run.

McCall led off the seventh inning with a single, giving way to pinch-runner Dawson Massengale. After a Wildcat error and a sacrifice bunt, Rooklin's RBI single plated Massengale for the 11th and final FHU run.

Colton Huntt (8-4) settled down after a rocky first inning to go 7 2/3 innings, striking out eight in the process. Evan Koob came in to sit down all four batters he saw in his 1 1/3 inning on the hill.

"Colton had a lot of emotions and once he was able to harness those emotions and use them in a positive way, he really took command and pitched well," said FHU skipper Jonathan Estes. "It showed a lot of maturity for him to overcome that bump and settle in and pitch into the eighth."

With 16 hits, one is hard-pressed to point out a single performance with seven Lions earning a multi-hit game. Rooklin led the charge by going 3-for-4 and driving in one run. 

Kelley, Libla, and Stark generated the most runs with each of them plating two. Beecham, Libla, McCall, Rooney, Sanders, and Stark each tallied two hits.

"Our lineup was firing on all cylinders today," said Coach Estes of his team's performance. "We ran the bases well, hit for power, hit for average, put constant pressure on their defense. We did a lot of things well."

Up Next

Freed-Hardeman will try to stay dry until tonight when they will watch Georgetown (Ky.) College and the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) in the final quarterfinal matchup. The Lions will take on the victor of that game in the first semifinal tomorrow, May 7, at 4:00 p.m. to try and clinch a spot in the championship game.