HENDERSON — The No. 25 Freed-Hardeman University Lions saw the (RV) Columbia (Mo.) College Cougars hit three home runs in the late innings of the first game of the day to fall 6-3 before bouncing back with a 14-13 walkoff victory.

Game 1
CC - 6
FHU - 3

Singles helped out the Lions (17-4) in the first game when Trace Anderson, Jordan Carter, and Christian Presley all tallying singles to set up Cade Fuller to lift a sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the day. The Lions would add an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth inning after William Kelley hit a one-out double to score Austin Johnson and give FHU a 2-0 lead.

Columbia (14-8) then plated four runs in the top of the fifth inning thanks in part to back-to-back homers. Another two-run home run put the Cougars up 6-2 in the top of the sixth inning.

Carter had a double in the bottom of the seventh, scoring when Adam Smithson connected for an RBI double. FHU then loaded the bases, but were unable to score the needed run sin the 6-3 defeat.

Colton Huntt (4-2) was saddled with the loss despite striking out five Cougars.

Jordan Carter had the hot bat, going 3-4 with a double.
 

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Game 2
CC - 13
FHU - 14

A roller coaster game in the second match of the day saw FHU (18-4) and Columbia trade momentum swings. After Columbia plated the first run of the game, Christian Presley's bases-loaded single to right field to knot the game. Cade Fuller then aired a sacrifice fly to give FHU a 2-1 edge. The Lions added two more runs in the bottom of the second after Austin Johnson stole home before Jordan Carter had a sacrifice fly to give FHU a 4-1 edge. 

The Lions would then pound the Columbia (14-9) pitchers for six runs in the bottom of the third. JJ Pruneau's single drove home the first run before Kimmey Johnson connected for a two-run single. Trace Anderson's double drove K. Johnson home before Brady Spring launched a two-run homer to put the Lions on top 10-2.

Swinging momentum to the other dugout, Columbia plated five runs in the top of the fourth inning thanks in part to a grand slam. The Cougars added another run int he top of the fifth to set the score at 10-8 in favor of FHU.

Spring smacked his second long ball of the game in the bottom of the fifth to put the Lions up 11-8, but a leadoff triple sparked a two-run seventh inning to see Columbia narrow FHU's lead to 11-10. The Cougars completed the comeback in the top of the eighth inning when the sting of a double play was eased by driving in the tying run.

Fuller scored the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the frame on an error before K. Johnson slid into home thanks to a wild pitch; however, the Cougar power struck again in the top of the ninth when a two-run homer eked inside the pole in right field to tie the game 13-13

Adam Smithson drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth inning before stealing second. Moving into scoring position proved to be essential as K. Johnson shot a grounder through the right side to see Smithson slide home to walk off game two.

The Lions tossed five pitchers with Colton Bryant getting the start where he struck out five in four innings. Seth Creasy came on where he tossed 2 2/3 innings where he punched out six. Tyler Wingard (1-0) collected his career's first victory, striking out one in 2/3 innings of work.

Brady Spring was on fire in game two, tallying four hits including two home runs where he drove in three. Kimmey Johnson and JJ Pruneau both had three hits, while Trace Anderson and Cade Fuller both had two of FHU's 17 hits.
 

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Up Next

The Lions will wrap up the four-game set with the Cougars with a pair of seven-inning games on March 10 beginning at 1:00 p.m.