April 11, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Stepping outside Mid-South Conference play, the (RV) Freed-Hardeman University Lions hosted the Faulkner (Ala.) University Eagles for a doubleheader. Camden Madding was the hero of game one, helping FHU to a 6-4 victory before the Eagles bounced back with a 5-2 final.

Game 1

Faulkner - 4

Freed-Hardeman - 6

It was a tough start for the Lions (25-15), as Cam Jennings started off when a walk and a hit batsman was followed by a double steal. The Eagles attempted a sacrifice fly, but the arm of William Kelley was left untested as the runner stayed put at third base. With two outs, the bases were loaded by way of a walk, but Jennings settled down to strike out the last batter to leave three Eagles stranded.

After a two-run homer lifted Faulkner (20-18) to a 2-0 lead, Adam Smithson led off the bottom of the third with a single, followed by a bunted single from Christian Presley. Mirroring the Eagles' first inning, Smithson and Presley converted a double steal, with Sean Rooney's sacrifice fly deep enough to plate Smithson. After Will McCall drew a walk and stole second, Baron Ratliff sent a slow roller to second base to drive in Presley in addition to McCall, who saw the slowly developing play and rounded third to score the Lions' third run to take a 3-2 lead.

Kelley opened the fourth inning with a single down the third base line, eventually moving to third after a groundout and a single from Presley. Camden Madding lifted a fly ball to shallow center field, but a good read from the throw allowed Kelley to score and give the Lions a 4-2 advantage.

A sacrifice fly in the fifth inning was followed by a leadoff double allowing the Eagles to plate the tying run in the top of the sixth inning. Smithson tallied a one-out double before Presley appeared to sneak an extra-base hit down the third base line, but a great grab from the Faulkner third baseman collected the second out of the inning. However, the Lions have done most of their damage this season with two outs, and Madden (2) proved that by shooting a 1-1 fastball with a no-doubt home run over the fence in right field to give the Lions the final runs of the day on a 6-4 win.

Pitching in relief, Montana Dickerson (1-1) picked up the victory after pitching three complete innings, while Luis Torres-Lopez notched his third save of the season.

Camden Madding drove in three of the Lions' six runs, while Christian Presley and Adam Smithson tallied two base hits each.

Game Two

Faulkner - 5

Freed-Hardeman - 2

For the second straight game, the Lions (25-16) saw the opposition load the bases in the top of the first inning. After a sacrifice fly plated the first Faulkner run, Houston High settled in his first start to coax a flyout to end the inning and leave two stranded.

FHU battled back in the second frame when Christian Presley had a roundabout leadoff double. The sophomore laced a single up the middle before swiping second. That extra base did not matter, as Will McCall's 10 home run bounced off the top of the fence in left-center and out for a two-run homer to put the Lions up 2-1.

The Eagles (21-18) battled back with another sacrifice fly to tie the game 2-2 after the top of the third inning before neither club could muster a run for the next three frames.

A leadoff single from Faulkner began the top of the sixth inning before a strikeout, a wild pitch, and a perfectly placed bunt put runners on first and third. The Lions thought they had avoided disaster when Patrick Cantrell, on the mound in relief, fielded a grounder and threw back to the plate, where Manuel Claro applied the tag to erase the lead runner and record the second out. After a walk loaded the bases, the next pitch was tagged to left field for a bases-clearing double to wrap up the scoring on a 5-2 game.

It was a bullpen day for the Lions, who sent four pitchers to the hill in game two, where Patrick Cantrell (0-1) was charged with the loss after a solid 1 2/3 innings where he struck out three.

The Lions tallied seven base hits, led by a 2-4 day from Christian Presley and a 2-3 day from Zach Sanders.

Up Next

FHU will host the perennial rival Bethel (Tenn.) University Wildcats in a three-game series on Friday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m. before a doubleheader on April 15 begins at 12:00 p.m. 

Freed-Hardeman will officially cut the ribbon to open the new Five Wells Field, where new chairback stadium seating has joined the all-turf playing surface. The ceremony is set to begin at 11:15 a.m.