HENDERSON — The No. 22 Freed-Hardeman University Lions plated 12 runs in their final innings at bat, first scoring eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to help win game one 11-7 before dropping four runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 10-4 in game two to secure the series sweep of the Campbellsville (Ky.) University Tigers.
Game 1
CU - 7
FHU - 11
The Lions (25-10, 6-2 MSC) got FHU started in the best way possible, sending a 1-1 fastball over the big wall in center field to lead off the Lions with a home run. After
Brady Spring was hit by a pitch, a single by
Cade Fuller was followed by a double from
Cam Madding to score Spring and give the Lions a 2-0 lead.
Campbellsville (15-10, 2-3 MSC) would answer back and more in the top of the third inning after the Tigers connected for four consecutive hits to score as many runs.
Adam Smithson joined Carter with a solo round-tripper to left field to pull the Lions within one run before Campbellsville tacked on a fifth run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 5-3 edge.
FHU then had a giant bottom of the sixth inning when JJ Pruneu and
Christian Presley collected hits to put the tying run in scoring position. Dawson Massongale, returning to the lineup after an injury, connected for a two-run single to knot the game 5-5. Carter then tallied his second hit of the day to drive home the run that gave FHU a lead. The hitting parade continued when Smithson stepped up with the bases loaded and tallied a bases-clearing double before
Cade Fuller put a bow on the eight-run inning with a two-run homer to left field and put FHU on top 11-5.
Campbellsville made things interesting in the top of the seventh, loading the bases after plating two runs; however, FHU recorded the third out and cement the victory.
Evan Koob (1-0) entered in relief of
Houston High in the fifth inning. High struck out four Tigers before giving way to Koob who struck out two to pick up his first victory of the season after collecting seven saves.
The Lions tallied 12 hits, led by
Adam Smithson's four-RBI game by going 2-4 from the plate. Also with two hits were
Jordan Carter,
Cade Fuller,
Dawson Massengale, and
JJ Pruneau.
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Game 2
CU - 4
FHU - 10
Freed-Hardeman (25-11, 7-2 MSC) had another late-inning push, plating four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.Â
Campbellsville (15-11, 2-4 MSC) struck first with a run off of a pair of hits, but the Lions escaped danger by throwing a runner out at third.
JJ Pruneau would reach in the bottom of the second thanks to one of three errors by the Tigers, with his courtesy runner -
William Kelley -Â eventually scoring an unearned run thanks to
Christian Presley's single to left.
A sacrifice fly from
Cade Fuller in the bottom of the third inning scored
Dawson Massengale before Pruneau had a two-run double down the right field line to give FHU a 4-1 edge after three complete innings.
Campbellsville eventually knotted the game in the top of the sixth inning after a pair of sacrifice flies in addition to a wild pitch set the score at 4-4 in the top of the sixth inning.
The tie did not last long as both Presley and Fuller smacked no-doubt solo home runs to left field to give FHU a 6-4 lead. Hoping for a little insurance in the bottom of the eighth, the Lions plated four runs sparked by
Cam Madding's leadoff homer was followed by an RBI single from
Jordan Carter.
Adam Smithson and Fuller then hit back-to-back doubles to score the final runs of the day and gave FHU the 10-4 victory.
On in relief of starter
Colton Bryant,
Seth Creasy (2-0) had a fantastic outing to collect the win, striking out six Tigers while surrendering just one hit in four innings of work.
Jordan Carter and
Christian Presley both had two hits and two RBI, while
Cade Fuller and
JJ Pruneau had two RBI off of one hit each.
Brady Spring went 2-4 from the dish in the win.
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Up Next
The Lions will reignite an old TranSouth Athletic Conference rivalry by traveling to Jackson, Tennessee where they will face the now NCAA DII Union (Tenn.) University Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on April 2.Â
