Box Score April 8, 2023
by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director
PULASKI, Tenn. — After falling in the first game of the day, the (RV) Freed-Hardeman University Lions bounced back with a 9-5 victory over the University of Tennessee Southern FireHawks.
Christian Presley opened the top of the third inning for FHU (23-15, 11-9 MSC) with a base knock up the middle with Zach Sanders following with a walk. Will McCall's single to right field would score Presley before Sean Rooney would drive home Sanders to give the Lions a 2-0 edge.
A two-run double heralded a three-run bottom of the fourth for UTS (27-11, 12-6 MSC), but FHU answered back with a four-run fifth. Three straight doubles from Adam Smithson, Presley, and Sanders gave the Lions one run and placed runners on second and third. Rooney drove home Presley, followed by Baron Ratliff tallying a two-run double to give the Lions a 6-3 lead.
Two more runs would cross for the FireHawks in the bottom of the fifth before a pair of scoreless frames sent the Lions to bat in the top of the eighth nursing a 6-5 edge.
William Kelley and Adam Smithson received free passes: the former on a walk and the latter being hit by a pitch. After a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, back-to-back sacrifice flies from Presley and Sanders gave the Lions an 8-5 advantage. After Mason Libla tallied a two-out single in the top of the ninth, his courtesy runner, Caleb Molo, would wrap around and score the ninth and final run when Kelley collected FHU's sixth two-bagger to finish the scoring on a 9-5 victory.
Colton Huntt (6-3) struck out eight FireHawks in the win, tossing six innings. Luis Torres-Lopez tallied his second save of the year where he struck out four in a scoreless three innings of work.
FHU notched 10 hits, with Christian Presley and Baron Ratliff both collecting two. Sean Rooney joined the duo with him, Presley, and Ratliff each driving in two runs.
Up Next
The Lions will return to action against the FireHawks in Pulaski on Monday, April 10, at 3:00 p.m.
