Long ball lifts Lady Lions to opening round win

May 15, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. — On the first day of the 2023 NAIA Softball Nation Championship, the No. 3 seed Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University Lady Lions and the No. 2 seed Ottawa (Kan.) University Braves in a game with action at the beginning at the end before FHU claimed a 5-4 victory in the seventh inning.

The Lady Lions (26-13) struck first as the visiting team on the scoreboard with Kennedy Harris-Bennett going deep on the second pitch of the day to give FHU a 1-0 advantage. After Karli Quillin took advantage of a throwing error to reach second base, eventually scoring on Myleah Hardy's sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 edge after the top of the first.

Ottawa (41-10) struck back in the bottom of the frame when Katie Enneking drew a one-out walk before rolling around the horn thanks to singles from Allison Kearney and Madison Bunfill before Nayely Delgado's single just past the first baseman plated Enneking to pull within a 2-1 score.

The next four innings went by scorelessly until the Lady Lions had some two-out magic. Anna Kate Norton singled to the pitcher before rolling the dice by stealing second. That gamble paid off after Molli Deere smoked a double to right center to plate Norton for insurance. Deere would come around to plate the Lady Lions' fourth run thanks to Harris-Bennett's infield single.

That insurance proved necessary when the Ottawa patience paid dividends in the bottom of the sixth when four consecutive walks followed a single. Emma Melvin's RBI groundout with the bases loaded drove in the tying run to move into the seventh inning with a 4-4 tie.

Sophie Dunavant sent a no-doubter over the fence in left-center field to lead off the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-4 lead. A leadoff single by Aliks Serna was followed by a walk to put the tying run into scoring position before a single from Riley Newbold loaded the bases with one out. The Lady Lions were able to take a hard-hit grounder to turn a double play to end the game with a 5-4 final.

In a strange turn of events, FHU's starting pitcher earned her second save. After Chloe Winters pitched a little more than one inning, she gave way to Brittany Adair who tossed 3 2/3 innings where she struck out five. Katelyn Bradford (2-1) picked up the victory, throwing one inning where she struck out one.

Despite a strong performance in the circle, Ashlynn Mercer (19-6) was tagged with the loss.

For Freed-Hardeman, Madelyn Crabb, Kennedy Harris-Bennett, and Cassie Hayes each tallied two hits.

On the Braves' side, Cierra Faubion had the only multi-hit game, collecting two of Ottawa's eight hits.