LEBANON, Tenn. – Darcy Moore posted three hits with a pair of three-run homers and Freed-Hardeman scored 14 runs in the first five innings, holding off a late Cumberland rally in a 15-10 victory over the Phoenix in baseball action here Wednesday at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium.
Cumberland (24-11) trailed 14-1 through four-and-a-half innings before scoring three times in the fifth and six more runs in the seventh, avoiding the 10-run rule. Caleb Kellogg posted three hits and scored a pair of runs for the Phoenix, but he was the only player with multiple hits. CU also stranded 10 runners in the loss, including the bases loaded in the seventh and two apiece in the fifth and ninth innings.
Moore finished 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored and six RBIs while Josh Sears added four hits, three RBIs and three runs scored for the Lions (24-12). FHU collected 15 hits in the victory, including two each for Bryce Lester and Wes Brooks.
Freed-Hardeman starter Collin McPherson (2-0) allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out two. Beau Caviness got the final eight outs for his eighth save, giving up two hits and no runs with four strikeouts. He entered the game with Cumberland trailing 14-10 and the bases loaded after CU plated six runs in the seventh.
Phoenix starter Monty Stevens (3-2) allowed eight runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings to take the loss. Will Hawks tossed 4.2 innings of relief, giving up one run on three hits and keeping Cumberland in the contest.
The Lions started quickly with three runs in the first after a leadoff walk by Lester and a one-out single from Sears. Stevens left a full-count pitch in the heart of the plate and Moore crushed it to left, his seventh of the season, for a 3-0 FHU advantage after a half inning.
Carlos Moseley reached on a throwing error and took second when the ball got away to start the Cumberland second inning. Andy Garretson walked but Mykel Gordon bounced into a 6-4-3 doubleplay. Hector Morales picked up the club with a two-out double down the leftfield line, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Three straight singles to start the third helped Freed-Hardeman expand the lead, with Lester, Brooks and Sears all hitting the ball hard. After a lineout to left, Moore struck again, this one a blast to leftcenter for his second three-run homer of the game.
The Lions were not done in the inning, though, as Kaimana Ancog was hit and stole second. He scored on a single to left by Cody Duncan for an 8-1 FHU lead, ending the day for Stevens.
In the fourth Brooks started with a seeing-eye single for the Lions but Sears grounded into a 5-4-3 doubleplay. Aden Campbell was hit with two outs and stole second before a walk to Moore. Ancog’s slow roller past the mound got through Moseley into centerfield, allowing Campbell to score, extending the FHU advantage to 9-1.
Freed-Hardeman plated five more runs in the fifth, with Siebert’s single to center beginning the frame. Joe Leatherwood’s ground ball to third was thrown away at second and Lester beat out a bunt single in front of the plate, loading the bases.
Brooks’ ground ball to second plated a run before Sears lined a double down the leftfield line, scoring two more. Campbell traded places with Sears with a double to rightcenter for another run before a walk to Moore. Duncan’s ground ball to short was booted, allowing the final run of the inning to score for a 14-1 Lions lead.
Schmidt belted a solo homer well over the wall in leftfield with one out in the bottom of the inning and Janson Neff reached on an error. Kellogg singled to right and Kyle Blackwell walked, loading the bases, before a two-out, two-run single to left by Rayden Sierra.
Kellogg started the seventh with a single to left and Blackwell followed with an RBI double to rightcenter. Sierra walked and Moseley’s single to rightcenter plated Blackwell.
Garretson drew a free pass and Sierra scored on a wild pitch on ball four. Gordon then laced a double into rightcenter, plating two runs, and he went to third on a wild pitch and came across on a balk.
Cumberland loaded the bases with walks to pinch-hitter Nick Mira and Jacob Herrera as well as another single by Kellogg, but Blackwell struck out and Sierra grounded out to end the inning with the Phoenix trailing, 14-10.
Freed-Hardeman got a run back in the eighth when Duncan walked and stole second to leadoff the frame. With one out Holden singled to right and Duncan scored easily, as he was taking third on the pitch, extending the FHU edge to 15-10.
Cumberland begins a three-game Mid-South Conference series at Georgetown College with a doubleheader Thursday beginning at 2 p.m. CT.
