May 18, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Needing to beat the top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies twice to punch their ticket to the Avista College World Series, the No. 2 seed Freed-Hardeman University Lions took care of business to force the "if-necessary" game nine with a 7-6 victory on Wednesday night.

The Lions (40-20) used the big bat of Will McCall to get off and moving, smashing a two-run homer to score Christian Presley - who led off the game by being hit by a pitch - and give the Lions a 2-0 edge. Moving ahead to the top of the third inning, the top of the order dealt more damage after Presley laced a single up the middle, chased by an identical hit from Adam Smithson. Remembering his power, the Grizzlies worked around McCall and walked the bases loaded where Zach Sanders planted a single to right field to plate Presley. Sean Rooney would follow with a single to right field that scored Smithson to give the Lions the 4-0 lead after three innings.

A set of doubles vaulted FHU to a bigger lead over the GGC (49-6) Grizzlies after Mason Libla led off the top of the fourth with a single, followed by a single off of the bat of William Kelley. Presley kept his bat white hot, doubling home both Kelley and Libla's courtesy runner, Caleb Molo. Presley was not on the bases long, scoring on Adam Smithson's RBI two-bagger, giving the Lions a 7-0 edge.

A terrifying sixth inning in which the Grizzlies plated six runs thanks in part to an FHU error was ameliorated with the Lions shutting down the hosts for the final three innings to force a winner-take-all regional final.

Not mentioned yet was the herculean effort on the hill by Houston High (3-0). In just his third start of the season, the big righty saved FHU's bullpen by tossing the complete game - hurling an astounding 116 pitches. High would punch out seven batters, walk one, and allow three earned runs to earn the victory.

FHU was led offensively by the top three of the order: with Christian Presley, Adam Smithson, and Will McCall each posting two hits. Mason Libla tallied a pair of hits in the seven-hole. Presley and McCall both drove in two runs.