By Dustin Semore
FHU Sports Information Director
Entering the top of the seventh inning with a 5-1 lead, the No. 14 Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions hoped to even up the series with the No. 23 Campbellsville (Ky.) University Tigers. The visitors put up five runs to stun FHU in a 6-5 defeat.
The first batter of the game put the Lady Lions (23-11, 14-8 MSC) in a hole, with the opening hitter going yard for a leadoff homer. FHU starter Brittany Adair would settle down to strike out two batters and leave two Tigers stranded.
Celebrating her Senior Day, Catherine Crabb put the Lady Lions on top of the Tigers (28-13-1, 16-7 MSC) with a two-run double to score both Myleah Hardy and Sophie Dunavant – both of which reached by way of singles.
FHU would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the third frame after Karli Quillin perfectly placed a bunt to leg out an infield single. With two outs, the Tigers hoped a visit to the circle would calm their relief pitcher. Instead, Sophie Dunavant took a 1-2 pitch over the wall in center for a two-run homer – her second of the season.
After Brooklyn Jimmerson led off the bottom of the fourth inning, a sacrifice and a groundout moved her pinch runner, Natalie Gilmore, to third base. Kennedy Harris-Bennett would beat the throw to first to put FHU on top 5-1 entering the fifth frame.
FHU escaped danger in the sixth inning, with a pair of strikeouts helping to leave the bases loaded with Tigers. That fortune; however, faded in the seventh inning when a pair of walks were the prelude to three RBI singles and an error to score five runs and take a 6-5 lead. FHU would lead off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but a double play and a groundout ended the first game of the afternoon.
Brittany Adair (11-7) went the distance in the circle, striking out nine while walking eight batters in the loss.
The Lady Lions out-hit the Tigers 12-7, with the top of the order being especially deadly, with the first four batters: Kennedy Harris-Bennett, Karli Quillin, Myleah Hardy, and Sophie Dunavant each collecting two hits, while Catherine Crabb went 3-4 in the five-hole.
