April 22, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Five Wells Field was kind to the (RV) Freed-Hardeman University Lions in their three-game series with the Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College Blue Raider. FHU outscored LWC 49-9 in a three-game set, wrapping up with a 17-3 victory in seven innings on getaway day.

It was a big inning for the guests who plated three runs against the FHU Lions (31-17, 17-10 MSC) in the top of the first inning thanks to four hits and a wild pitch.

Unfazed, Christian Presley and Adam Smithson led off the FHU first inning with back-to-back walks before a single loaded the bases. The Blue Raiders (17-25, 9-17 MSC) were able to get one out, but Zanders was able to drive home Presley. Unhappy at first base with Smithson on third, Sanders took off for second. Hoping to be one move ahead of the Lions, LWC anticipated a double steal and fired the ball the third in hopes of catching Smithson napping. Instead, Smithson watched the throw float into left field before trotting home to score the Lions' second run. Sanders would score the tying run when Sean Rooney's deep fly ball grazed the center field wall for an RBI triple.

After a scoreless second inning, deja vu hit when Sanders singled, only to be brought home by a three-bagger from Rooney to give the Lions a 4-3 advantage.

After Smithson was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning, Will McCall's single to right would score Smithson. After swiping second, McCall would be driven home by Sanders' single up the middle. Back-to-back walks were issued to Camden Madding and Rooney before Mason Libla beat out an RBI infield single to put the Lions on top 7-3. Anthony Jarvis would then draw a bases-loaded walk to end the fourth with the Lions leading 8-3.

Madding (3) would single-handedly put up a crooked number in the fifth inning after McCall's single and Sanders reaching via an error was followed by a three-run blast to right field to give the Lions an 11-3 lead.

The air thinned out in the bottom of the sixth inning when Libla (10) and Jarvis (4) hit back-to-back jacks to lead off the inning and put FHU ahead 13-3. Not finished with the long ball, Sanders swung at the last regular season pitch he would face at Five Wells Field and sent it over the fence in left-center field for a three-run home run - his first of the year. Batting around, an RBI single from Libla ended the scoring for the 17-3 victory.

After the shaky first inning, Colton Bryant (3-0) settled down to toss five shutout innings where he struck out three. Luis Torres-Lopez pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Zach Sanders went 3-5 from the plate, accounting for 10 of the Lions' 17 runs: driving in five, and scoring five of his own. Mason Libla and Camden Madding both drove in three runs, while Anthony Jarvis sent home two. Will McCall tallied three base knocks in the victory.

Up Next

One more game remains on the Lions' regular season schedule, with FHU lining up with the No. 2 LSU-Shreveport Pilots on Tuesday, April 26. A neutral-site game be held at Henderson State (Ark.) University's Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, has a first pitch scheduled at 1:00 p.m.