HENDERSON — Playing for the first time in a week the No. 18 Freed-Hardeman University Lions baseball team fell to their West Tennessee rival Bethel (Tenn.) University twice Saturday. A low-scoring 3-0 defeat was followed by a 12-8 loss.
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Game 1
BU - 3
FHU - 0Â
On the hill for the Lions (22-7, 3-1 MSC),
Colton Huntt was rocking and firing with eight strikeouts in the first four innings of work. The Wildcats managed to plate one unearned run on the top of the fourth inning to put the pressure on the FHU hitters.
After
Cade Fuller was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning,
JJ Pruneau's single was the second Lion hit of the day. Bethel (20-6, 1-3 MSC) changed pitchers, with the new hurler getting the final two outs to strand the tying run at third. After seeing Bethel score two in the top of the seventh, the Lions fell in the Mid-South matchup 3-0.
Huntt (5-3) was charged with the loss despite the senior striking out 12 batters in the seven-inning affair.
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Game 2
BU - 12
FHU - 8
In game two the Lions (22-8, 3-2 MSC) watched as the Wildcats scored nine runs in the first three innings. FHU scored their first run of the day after
William Kelley was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the second before moving to third thanks to
Cade Fuller's double, then scoring on
Cannon Daversa's groundout.
The Lions put up a second run off the bat of
Christian Presley who led off the bottom of the third inning with a homer to left field. Bethel (21-6, 2-3 MSC) was then held scoreless until a dropped third strike saw two different errors recorded to allow a 10th run to score unearned.
The Lions made things interesting beginning in the bottom of the fifth when
Christian Presley led off the inning with a single to right field, followed by a throw to second on a fielder's choice being late due to a fielding error.
Jordan Carter would then smash a home run to right field to score three and give the Lions five runs.
Kelley led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single through the left side because
Cade Fuller launched a no-doubt home run over the left field wall to make the score 12-7. The Lions showed patience later by drawing back-to-back walks after a two-out single to load the bases and put the tying run at the plate. After a new pitcher's first pitch, a Lion was caught off the bag and was picked off to end the game in the 12-7 defeat.
Colton Bryant (4-2) picked up the loss in the start.Â
Christian Presley was 3-5 with a home run while
Cade Fuller and
Jordan Carter both had two hits including home runs.
Brady Spring had a pair of hits for FHU.
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Up Next
FHU and Bethel will wrap up the three-game series on March 24 with a single nine-inning game beginning at 1:00 p.m.
