Lions finish big weekend sweep of Bears

March 19, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The (RV) Freed-Hardeman Univesity Lions showed off their bats in a series against the Shawnee State (Ohio) University Bears. In a three-game set FHU outscored hosting SSU 64-8, finalized by Sunday's 19-4 win.

The FHU (15-11, 5-6 MSC) bats began the day white hot when Christian Presley led things off with a single to center. After a set of walks, Sean Rooney broke open the scoring with a two-run single. A third walk reloaded the bases when a wild pitch brought home the Lions' third run. Rooney would score a run of his own after being brought home by a Baron Ratliff single.

With Dawson Massengale (on base as Mason Libla's courtesy runner who reached on a walk) on third, Ratliff attempted to keep the Bears on their toes by stealing second. Instead, the throw attempt went sailing into center to plate Massengale while Ratliff ended up on third to give the Lions a 5-0 lead before SSU recorded an out. Continuing to light up the first-inning scoreboard, Adam Smithson's single scored Ratliff before a steal and a wild pitch brought home Smithson to finalize the first inning's scoring to give FHU a 7-0 lead.

One of five Shawnee State (3-19, 2-7 MSC) fielding miscues allowed Zach Sanders and Will McCall to score after the former led off the inning with a walk. McCall pounded a double and while Sanders scored easily, a throw to try and keep McCall from advancing to third instead went into the outfield to see McCall score and give FHU a 9-0 advantage.

The Bears would strike back to hold the Lions scoreless across the third and fourth innings while plating runs of their own to cut into the lead to end the fourth inning with a 9-2 score.

Smithson had a one-out double down the left field line, scoring on the next at-bat when Anthony Jarvis tallied a pinch-hit single. McCall placed a single to the opposite field to score Jarvis before scoring himself thanks to Rooney's second two-run single that also drove in Sanders to set the score at 13-2.

After the Bears added a pair of runs, Trace Ander hit a bases-loaded single to center field as a pinch hitter to clear the bases and give the Lions a 16-4 lead before a sacrifice fly, an error, and a wild pitch each allowed a run in the seventh inning to end the day on FHU's 19-4 victory.

Getting his second start of the year, Colton Bryant (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory. The lefty pitched four innings where he punched out four Bears and allowed as many hits. 

Freed-Hardeman pounded out 12 hits, led by two-hit outings from Will McCall, Sean Rooney, and Adam Smithson. Rooney was the top run-producer by driving in four runs, while Trace Anderson joined McCall with three RBIs.

Up Next

The Lions return to Five Wells Field for a midweek outing with the Toppers of Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) University. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21.