BATESVILLE, Ark. - The Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming TranSouth Conference tournament with a double-header sweep of Lyon (Ark.) College on Friday afternoon, 11-0 and 6-4.
FHU finished the regular season with an overall record of 24-8 and a conference mark of 11-3, two games behind Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College.
Tarrah Tucker (17-2) again dominated in game one, earning her third win in less than 24 hours after winning both sides of Thursday's double-header against Union (Tenn.) University. The Pipers did manage seven hits off of Tucker and led off four of the six innings with singles. In the sixth, Lyon loaded the bases with one out before Tucker retired the final two batters to preserve her ninth shutout of the season. She also struck out 11 hitters, the 10th time this year she has reached double-digits in strikeouts this season including five straight games as a starter.
The late runs would have made little difference in the outcome, though, as the Lady Lions blew the game open with a four-run fifth inning to take a 6-0 lead. They then added five more in the top of the sixth. Brittany Yates highlighted the explosion with a three-run homerun (5) to left field in the fifth.
Brittany Steverson, Jill Brock, and Britney Caldwell each had two hits for FHU in game one, with all six remaining Lady Lion starters recording one hit apiece. Caldwell also drove in two runs, along with Carmen Gulley.
FHU didn't wait long to put runs on the board in game two. The Lady Lions took advantage of two passed balls the moved runners ahead to later score on RBI singles by Brittany Bradford and Natalie Carson. Lyon got one run back in the bottom of the frame after Phenix Butler scored from third on a passed ball by Traci Gibbons, but Freed responded with four runs in the top of the second to build a 6-1 cushion. Jill Brock delivered a two-run single, and Caldwell followed with a two-run double in the inning.
Taylor Morgan took over for Lyon starter Tenequa Martin in the circle and quieted FHU's bats the rest of the way. The Pipers scored a run in the fourth and could have added another, but Gulley threw out Kiley Parker at the plate from left field to end the inning.
Lyon continued to chip away in the sixth. Kristi Keller led off the inning with a solo homerun, and the Pipers kept the rally going by getting runners on first and second with one out. Tucker then relieved Caldwell and, after retiring the first batter she faced on a sacrifice bunt, gave up a run-scoring single to Butler. That would be the end of the damage, however, as Tucker retired the next batter to get out of the inning with FHU still ahead 6-4.
Tucker then retired the side in the seventh to earn her first save of the year as Caldwell picked up the win to improve to 7-6.
Bradford went 2-for-4 to lead FHU at the plate.
The Lady Lions, currently sitting at No. 22 in the nation, head to the TranSouth Conference tournament in Pulaski, Tenn., next week with hopes of earning their first-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament.
