NASHVILLE, Tenn. - TranSouth Conference Player of the Year Karina de los Santos bounced back from a pair of strikeouts in her first two at-bats to rip a two-out go-ahead double in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College to a 3-2 win over Freed-Hardeman at the TranSouth Conference tournament on Thursday afternoon at Trevecca Nazarene University.
The loss ends the Lady Lions' season at 17-26 and ends the careers of FHU seniors Britney Caldwell and Traci Gibbons.
Freed-Hardeman didn't have problems getting runners on base, but stranded 11 runners and hit into two double plays.
Caldwell (16-17) pitched a solid game in her final appearance for FHU and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, but FHU followed by leaving the bases loaded themselves in the second.
Martin Methdoist drew first blood in the bottom of the second with a two-out RBI single by Caitlin White followed by a double by Nicole Velez that brought White in to score. The Lady Lions got one back in the top of the third after getting runners at first and third with one out and scoring on a wild throw by Chrissy Worth on a play at first base. But Worth still pitched out of the jam and stranded runners at second and third.
FHU again got runners on first and second with one out in the fourth but a hard ground ball up the middle by Betsy Pickler turned into a 6-3 double play to kill another potential rally.
Caldwell continued to keep the potent RedHawks offense at bay, and FHU finally broke through again in the fifth inning after loading the bases with one out. Gibbons then drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 2-2 and end the day in the circle for Worth. White entered in relief and retired Amber Vansandt and Caneisha Turner to end the inning.
De los Santos followed with her double in the bottom of the inning with what proved to be the deciding run.
Freed-Hardeman threatened in the sixth, getting runners on first and second with no outs, but Caldwell hit into a 5-3 double play and Brittany Yates grounded out to third as another potential rally fell short. White, the conference's freshman of the year, then retired the side in the seventh inning to finish the game.
