By Dustin Semore FHU Information Director
The 25th-ranked Freed- Hardeman University Lions scored runs in seven of their eight innings of offense on Sunday to complete the sweep of the University of St. Francis (Ill.) with a 10-5 victory.
Despite not recording a hit until the fifth inning, the Lions (14-1) showed great plate discipline by drawing five walks and having two hit batsmen in the first four frames. FHU got on the board when three straight walks allowed Cam Madding to score thanks to a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning. USF would add an unearned run in the top of the second due to two fielding errors in the inning.
Cade Fuller had an odd trip around the bases after drawing a one-out walk before he stole second. The Saints’ (1-4) pitcher then committed a balk to move Fuller to third, prepping JJ Pruneau to perfectly plant a sacrifice bunt to complete the safety squeeze and take a 2-1 lead after two full innings.
Brady Spring tapped home for the third run due to a St. Francis error in the bottom of the fourth to put the Lions on top 3-1. Madding’s single in the top of the fifth inning was the first base hit for the Lions before Christian Presley and Trace Anderson laced back-to-back singles to score the fifth run. Jordan Carter then smacked a two-run double before scoring on Fuller’s two-bagger to end a four-run five-hit fifth inning to give the Lions a 7-1 lead.
Kobe Pridemore led off the bottom of the sixth with a pinch-hit double before scoring on Carter’s single. The Saints would find some offense in the top of the seventh inning with a four-run frame to cut into FHU’s lead which now sat at 8-5.
Adam Smithson drove home Spring in the bottom of the seventh with Lane Lawson’s one-out pinch-hit triple setting up Austin Johnson to drive in the 10th and final FHU run in the 10-5 victory.
Colton Bryant (3-1) picked up the victory, striking out five batters while allowing one run in six full innings of work.
Jordan Carter went 2-4 and drove in a team-high 10 runs.
