By Dustin Semore
FHU Sports Information Director
In the series finale, Sophie Dunavant tallied her career’s 135th RBI to break a record set by hall-of-famer Kamara Trice. That RBI was a big one as the senior drove in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the No. 14 Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions ultimately fell to the Cumberland (Tenn.) University Phoenix 6-5 in eight innings.
It was a tough start for the Lady Lions (17-7, 10-4 MSC) when the first two batters walked before what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt turned into an infield single.
A single plated the first run of the game before a grand slam put the Lady Lions behind 5-0 before picking up a bat.
The big Cumberland (18-13, 7-9 MSC) start was answered with a leadoff double from Kennedy Harris-Bennett. After stealing third, Harris-Bennett scored FHU’s first run on Karli Quillin’s RBI single. Earning the start, Brittany Adair settled down to retire the next nine Phoenix batters in order to keep the deficit at 5-1.
Myleah Hardy led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a walk before Catherine Crabb followed with a single. With Hardy’s pinch runner, Gracie Wilson, on third Cassie Hayes split the outfielders and legged out a two-run triple to close the gap to a 5-3 differential. A wild pitch would allow Hayes to score and end the three-run sixth with FHU trailing 5-4.
Quillin surprised the defense to leg out a one-out bunt single, moving into scoring position with Hardy’s groundout. Dunavant’s record-breaking RBI came at the perfect time by driving in the tying run with outs in the bottom of the seventh.
Cumberland would take advantage of a one-out error to score the unearned go-ahead run. Hayes led off the eighth with a single, eventually standing on third, but the Lady Lions were unable to score the equalizer and saw the book close on a 6-5 final.
Katelyn Bradford (0-1) was charged with the loss, tossing 2 2/3 innings in relief where she struck out one while allowing one unearned run.
FHU was led by a trio of two-hit games from Catherine Crabb, Kennedy Harris-Bennett, and Cassie Hayes.
The Lady Lions will venture north to face the Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College Blue Raiders in a three-game series on Friday, April 14, and Saturday, April 15.
