HENDERSON — After playing their first 14 games on road, he (RV) Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions softball played their first games at Tucker Field on Tuesday night. It took eight innings for the University of Tennessee Southern Firehawks to win the first game 7-4 before the Lady Lions mounted a comeback in game two to walk off UTS 8-7 in game two.

Game 1 (8 inn.)
UTS - 7
FHU - 4

The Lady Lions (8-7) saw their former Mid-South Conference foes score runs in both the top of the first and second innings before FHU used a three-run fifth to take the lead. Grayson Mayo led off the inning with a single before her pinch runner, Emily Moorehead, moved to third with Karli Quillin's one-out single. Natalie Gilmore would tie the game with a two-run single. Molli Deere would then collect a single down the left-field line before running to second in hopes of enticing a throw to allow the speedy Gilmore to score. After a play at the plate, Gilmore would score the go-ahead run with a blocking the plate call to take a 3-2 advantage.

The Firehaws (12-7) tied the game in the top of the sixth with a home run to right field to force an extra inning. In the top of the eighth inning, a pair of two-run hits gave UTS a 7-3 lead. Despite Alivia Eggleston driving home Kiersten Perry in the bottom the frame, FHU was unable to come back to lose 7-4.

Chloe Winters (1-3) tossed a solid 7 2/3 innings where she struck out five Firehawks.

Karli Quillin and Natalie Gilmore both had two-hit games with Gilmore driving in a team-high two runs.
 

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Game 2
UTS - 7
FHU - 8

Freed-Hardeman (9-7) watched as UT Southern opened up the second game with four-runs in the top of the first inning before tacking on a fifth in the top of the second inning. Myleah Hardy's double would score Chloe Carter in the bottom of the second inning to cut into UTS's lead. After Karli Quillin led off the bottom of the third being hit by a pitch, Natalie Gilmore planted a single into right field. With a UTS error keeping momentum FHU's way, Quillin scored before a double-steal was aided by a blocking the plate obstruction call gave the Lady Lions their third run.

The big lead for the Firehawks (12-8) evaporated in the bottom of the fifth when Alivia Eggleston's single drove home Quillin. After Brooklyn Jimmerson doubled, Carter drove home Gracie Wilson - Eggleson's pinch runner - to pull the Lady Lions within one run. That run scored when Brinley Cousar's single to the left side of the infield scored Jimmerson to knot the game 6-6.

A leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning by UTS forced FHU to plate at least one run in the bottom of the seventh. Jimmerson was able to reach by way of a fielder's choice before a single from Carter and a walk by Cousar loaded the bases with one out. Kiersten Mesler drove home the tying run with a single to center before Hardy's single to short gave FHU the walkoff victory 8-7.

Pitching in relief of starting hurler Katelyn Bradford, Kylee Brown (5-2) pitched an incredible four innings where she struck out six Firehawks while surrendering one hit.

FHU zeroed in on the ball to tally 14 base hits. Chloe Carter, Brinley Cousar, Alivia Eggleston, Brooklyn Jimmerson, and Karli Quillin each connected for two hits, while Myleah Hardy's two-hit night also drove home a team-high two RBI.
 

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Up Next

The Lady Lions close the non-conference half of their schedule at 9-7 and open league play by host Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College with a doubleheader on both Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16.