PULASKI, Tenn. – In a battle for first place in the TranSouth Athletic Conference, Martin Methodist lost a pair of heartbreaking games to No. 21 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University at the East Campus Friday afternoon.
After dropping the first contest in a 1-0 nailbiter, the RedHawks (14-16, 3-3 TranSouth) nearly completed a massive comeback in the nightcap, falling 10-8 to the Lady Lions.
Freed-Hardeman 10, Martin Methodist 8:
Trailing 10-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth, the RedHawks nearly clawed their way back into the contest, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the frame, adding another in the sixth and then sending the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.
After two quick outs to lead off the seventh, Veronika Fukunishi drew a walk to extend the frame and send Chae Ellis to the plate. Ellis, who had cranked a solo homer just one inning prior, laced a single down the third base line to put Fukunishi in scoring position. That set the stage for Alley Benefield, who also notched a home run earlier in the contest, to potentially give the RedHawks a dramatic, come-from-behind win.
After a brief battle with Lady Lions ace Sarah Elizabeth Cousar, Benefield dribbled a slow roller back to the pitcher's mound for the game's final out.
The out ending what could have been a massive comeback for the RedHawks, who scored the game's final four runs.
Ellis and Benefield both finished 2-of-5 at the plate in the late-game loss, with Benefield driving in a game-high four runs.
Fukunishi, who entered the afternoon ranked third in the NAIA in overall batting average, finished the second game 2-for-3 with two walks. Dana Winfrey notched a perfect 3-for-3 effort at the plate, as the RedHawks cranked out 13 hits as a team.
Dharianna Familia (5-4) suffered the loss on the mound for the RedHawks, issuing three first-inning runs before being pulled in favor of Caroline Ezell. Familia returned later in the ballgame, finishing with 2.2 innings of work and just one hit allowed.
Cousar, meanwhile, picked her 14th win of the year (14-2) in the victory for the Lady Lions, who seized a stranglehold on first place in the TranSouth. The two teams will meet again in Henderson, Tenn. on April 27.
Freed-Hardeman 1, Martin Methodist 0:
In the opener, the RedHawks had several chances late but were unable to cash in against Lady Lions ace Sarah Elizabeth Cousar in a 1-0 loss.
The RedHawks mustered just three hits in the loss, but still had the potential game-winning run on the basepaths in the bottom of the seventh.
After Dana Winfrey drew a one-out walk, Megan Anderson nearly grounded into a game-ending double play, but forced a rushed Lady Lion throw to reach via error. On the ensuing at-bat, pinch hitter Dharianna Familia drew a four-pitch walk to put the game's winning run on first base. Freshman Morgan May dug into the batter's box with a chance to give the RedHawks a walk-off victory, but flew out to deep center.
The loss spoiled a strong performance from RedHawks starter Emily Robb, who scattered six hits and allowed just one run across seven innings. The freshman issued just one walk on the afternoon in the loss (5-10) on the mound.
At the plate, Veronika Fukunishi recorded two of the RedHawks three hits – stroking a pair of singles to shallow center field. Chae Ellis' single was the only other hit of the afternoon.
The RedHawks return to action Saturday afternoon for a pair of games at Mid-Continent (Ky.) University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Mayfield, Ky.
