Early magic has Lions surviving and advancing
May 6, 2023
by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — In a win-or-go-home game in the Mid-South Conference Tournament, the (RV) Freed-Hardeman University Lions jumped ahead of the Georgetown (Ky.) College Tigers early on the way to a 12-8 victory.
The No. 3 seed Lions (36-18) used their season-long two-out magic to plate three runs in the top of the first inning. After a pair of quick outs, Will McCall showed patience by drawing a walk. Zach Sanders answered with a single before Camden Madding's walk loaded the bases. Sean Rooney would perfectly place a single to left field to allow Sanders to easily score before McCall sneaked a hand past the tag to score the second run. After Madding moved to third with a wild pitch, Mason Libla's RBI single drove home Madding to see the Lions lead 3-0.
Christian Presley tallied a single to center field before Adam Smithson drove Presley on a triple which saw Smithson barely reach third base before the tag of the No. 5 seed Tiger (29-22) glove. McCall's single to left scored Smithson before Sanders tagged a double to score McCall and put FHU on top 6-0.
The top of the third was fruitful for the Lions when Libla led off the frame with his season's ninth long ball. Again with two outs in the top of the fourth, Sanders and Madding teamed up where Sanders' single was followed by an RBI single from Madding to see Sanders tap home for an 8-0 Lion lead.
The Tigers waited until the back half of the game to start picking up runs, with Georgetown scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth, before an RBI single in the fifth cut the FHU lead down to 8-4.
Sanders and Madding hit back-to-back singles in the top of the sixth where the latter included a fielding error in right field to allow McCall (who had reached after being hit by a pitch) to score an unearned run. Another unearned run came in when Rooney's groundout plated Sanders to give FHU a 10-4 advantage.
Georgetown hoped to have scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh when an RBI single included a play at the plate to erase what could have been the second run on the play. The Tigers were not upset long, with a two-run homer following to make it a 10-7 lead for the Lions.
Adding insurance in the late frames, Rooney drew a walk before his pinch runner - Dawson Massengale - stole second and advance on a wild pitch. Baron Ratliff aired a single to left field to score Massengale. An RBI single from McCall with two outs in the top of the ninth scored the Lions' 12th and final run. Georgetown had a bases-loaded walk to finish the scoring on the 12-8 final score.
Knowing that another game loomed on the horizon, Coach Jess Trask utilized his bullpen as little as possible, only going to the pen twice after Colton Bryant (4-0) qualified for the win with four strikeouts in five innings. Cam Jennings and Seth Creasy teamed up to shut the door on the Tigers.
The FHU bats were white-hot with the club smacking 20 base hits, led by Zach Sanders' four-hit day in six trips. Mason Libla and Will McCall chased with three hits each, while William Kelley, Camden Madding, Sean Rooney, and Adam Smithson each connected for two. Sean Rooney's at-bats were timely, with the senior driving home three runs.
Up Next
The Lions are currently stretching in preparation to hit the field once more. With a guaranteed trip to the NAIA Baseball World Series on the line, a victory would have the Lions advance to the championship where they would await the regular-season champion University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) Patriots, while a loss would send FHU to Henderson in hopes of an at-large bid to the World Series.