Comeback falls short, Lady Lions drop game to Tigers

May 5, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Despite plating two runs in the top of the first, the No. 21 Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions lost Friday morning's meeting with the No. 19 Campbellsville (Ky.) University Tigers 6-5.

With the No. 3 seed in the tournament, the Lady Lions (25-11) took advantage of a set of Campbellsville errors to strike in the top of the first inning. Kennedy Harris-Bennett led off affairs with a walk, before advancing to second on Karli Quillin's fielder's choice thanks to an error from the Tiger shortstop. Sophie Dunavant hit a slow grounder to the shortstop who attempted to force Harris-Bennett out at third; however, an errant throw allowed both Harris-Bennett and Quillin to wrap around and score a pair of unearned runs.

With the No. 2 seed of the MSC tournament, the Campbellsville (29-14-1) offense got rolling in the bottom of the first inning after a leadoff single was chased by a two-run blast to knot the game 2-2. Showing power and patience, the Tigers wheeled around the bases with a single, two walks, and an RBI single before a bases-loaded hit batsman gave Campbellsville a 4-2 advantage.

A leadoff walk in the bottom of the second inning came back to haunt the Lady Lions when a two-out single drove home Campbellsville's fifth run to take a 5-2 lead. FHU bounced back in the top of the third frame when Quillin's leadoff single was followed by an RBI double from Myleah Hardy to set the score at 5-3.

Disaster was followed by fortune when, with the bases loaded, an errant throw from Dunavant allowed the lead runner to score on a fielder's choice, but FHU recovered with a strike from Cassie Hayes to Dunavant to mow down the next Tiger attempting to score to avert severe damage and hold a 6-3 deficit.

The Lady Lions answered with three two-baggers in the top of the sixth from Hayes, Brinley Cousar, and Harris-Bennett - seeing Hayes and Cousar both score to narrow the Tigers' lead to 6-5. In the top of the seventh, Dunavant led off with a walk but was unable to advance to end the 6-5 game.

Being charged with the loss was Chloe Winters (11-4), with Brittany Adair and Katelyn Bradford each tossing in relief. The Lady Lions issued a season-high nine walks in the loss.

Offensively, Kennedy Harris-Bennett had the lone multi-hit game with two of FHU's seven base hits.

Up Next

Freed-Hardeman will take a short break before facing the No. 4 seed Tigers of Georgetown (Ky.) College at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game.