Pitcher's duel ends in loss for Lions

February 4, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. — After two games of high-powered hitting, (RV) Freed-Hardeman University's Alex Huey and Bryan (Tenn.) College's Cameron Harvey treated the fans at Five Wells Field who braved the cold to a pitcher's duel. After trading six scoreless innings, FHU would see Bryan score three late runs to their own two to drop the series with a 3-2 final defeat.

Zach Sanders hoped to get things rolling by leading off the bottom of the first inning for the FHU Lions (3-3) with a single. After swiping second base, Sanders was in scoring position with one out before being stranded to end the early threat. In the other dugout, a single to third base was the only hit for the Bryan Lions until the fourth inning.

Tarnishing an otherwise stellar outing from Huey, a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh inning was followed by a flyout in foul territory before a hanging curveball was tagged for a two-run home run over the left-field fence to give Bryan (2-1) a 2-0 advantage. Unhappy with seeing his team fall behind, William Kelley (2) turned on a pitch from the Bryan reliever to smack his second home run of the season over the wall in left field.

In the top of the eighth inning, Bryan gambled with a two-out hit-and-run attempt which ultimately proved to score the game-winning run on an RBI double down the left-field line. Sean Rooney would lead off the bottom of the ninth inning with a heroic triple to the opposite field, scoring on Kelley's groundout. Trace Anderson shot a one-out double to put FHU's tying run in scoring position. With the BC closer on the bump, a massive strikeout was followed by a groundout to strand Anderson at second base with a 3-2 final score.

FHU had five hits in the game, but could not spark the offense with baserunners, going 0-9 with runners on including an 0-8 turn with those runners in scoring position.

Alex Huey (0-1) was charged with the loss after 6 1/3 solid innings of work, allowing four hits and striking out four, while Montana Dickerson fanned two in relief.

The five FHU hits were scattered across the lineup with Zach Sanders, Sean Rooney, Trace Anderson, and Brady Spring joining William Kelley's home run in the hit column.

Up Next

The FHU Lions will continue their month-long homestand by welcoming the Fighting Saints of the University of St. Francis (Ind.) in a four-game series consisting of a weekend of doubleheaders. First on Friday, February 10, beginning at 3:00 p.m., then finishing on Saturday, February 11, with a twin bill getting underway at 12:00 p.m.