HENDERSON — The No. 25 Freed-Hardeman University Lions continue pounding the baseball, connecting for nine home runs across Saturday's doubleheader against the University of St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Saints. The Lions won game one 9-0 before taking the series with a 12-4 victory.
Game 1
USF - 0
FHU - 9
Adam Smithson shot the first pitch seen by the Lions (12-1) in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Shortly after a two-out single,
Christian Presley scored thanks to
Trace Anderson's double to take a 2-0 advantage. Continuing the leadoff hitting prowess,
Brady Spring sent a homer over the wall in straightaway center with
William Kelley later lifting a sacrifice fly to score
Cade Fuller to give FHU a 4-0 lead after two innings.
FHU picked up a fifth run in the bottom of the third inning after a pair of walks setting up Anderson to score on a USF (1-2) wild pitch. An RBI single from Smithson in the bottom of the fourth inning was followed by a two-run blast from Kelley to put FHU on top 8-0 after four complete innings. An errant pickoff attempt allowed
Jordan Carter to trot the final 90 feet and score the Lions' ninth and final run to put a bow on the 9-0 victory.
Houston High (4-0) went the distance on the hill for FHU, striking out six while allowing one hit in the complete-game shutout victory.
Adam Smithson and
Brady Spring each went 2-2 from the plate, with
William Kelley driving in a team-high three runs.
Game 2
USF - 4
FHU - 12
The Lions (13-1) and the Saints seemed content for a pitcher's duel in the back half of the doubleheader, trading scoreless innings until the bottom of the fifth inning when
Brady Spring's walk was followed by a two-out two-run homer from
Cade Fuller to put the Lions on top 2-0.
A leadoff double from
Adam Smithson in the sixth inning paid off in when
Cam Madding's sacrifice fly brought home the third Lion run. The Fighting Saints (1-3) tallied a run in the top of the seventh inning with a leadoff homer before a two-out double drove home the second run on the inning to cut into FHU's now 3-2 lead.
The Lions then poured five run in the bottom of the seventh inning thanks in part to a three-run blast from
Cade Fuller.
William Kelley's two-run homer gave the Lions an 8-2 edge after seven innings.
Lane Lawson had two-run pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the eighth inning before Smithson's two-run blast put a cap on the 12-4 onslaught.
Matthew Riley (2-0) earned the victory after pitching five full innings where he struck out six Saints.
Adam Smithson led the Lions with three hits, while
Jordan Carter,
Cade Fuller, and
William Kelley each had two. Fuller's five RBI led the Lions in game two.
Up Next
The Lions and the Saints will wrap up the four-game set on Sunday, February 25, with a first pitch of 1:00 p.m.
