BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — For the second time in three years the Freed-Hardeman University Lions opened the Mid-South Conference with a no-hitter. In the 2023 edition it was alumnus
Colton Huntt on the hill, while 2025's victory came from
Matthew Riley. The senior struck out 10 Bethel University Wildcats in a 4-1 win.
Riley was locked in from the start for the third-seeded Lions (31-18) by striking out two Wildcats in the top of the first inning. No. 4 seed Bethel managed to score a run in the top of the second after a hit batsman and an error combined for a 1-0 lead.
FHU would wait until the seventh inning to begin their scoring.
Cam Madding took the first pitch offered by the Bethel (22-17) starter to the right side to get a leadoff single.
Dawson Massengale then moved Madding to second with a sacrifice bunt. A balk put Madding on third to set him up to score on
Dalton Bonner's single.
Madding would strike again in the top of the eighth inning by picking a great spot to hit his second homer of the season with a three-run shot giving the Lions the 4-1 lead. Riley would get a lineout to the outfield and a popout to the infield before fittingly fielding the final out and tossing to first to secure to no-hitter.
Dalton Bonner joined
JJ Pruneau and
Cam Madding with two base hits each. Madding drove in three of FHU's four runs.
Matthew Riley (6-2) got the no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and five walks.
Scoring Summary
Top 2
A hit-by-pitch put a runner on who would eventually score after an error.
FHU 0, Bethel 1
Bottom 7
Cam Madding started the comeback for FHU by leading off with a single. A sacrifice bunt and a balk put Madding on third to be scored on
Dalton Bonner's single.
FHU 1, Bethel 1
Bottom 8
A pair of singles from
Trace Anderson and
JJ Pruneau brought Madding back to the plate. Madding launched a no-doubter over the right-field wall to score three runs and put all momentum in FHU's dugout.
FHU 4, Bethel 1
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Up Next
The Lions will battle against the second-seeded Cumberland University Phoenix on May 1. The weather forecast has moved the day's games up 90 minutes to set the first pitch at approximately 4:30 p.m.
