Fri, May. 11, 2012 - [Baseball]
CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Avila (Mo.) University's Corwin Patis scored from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, bringing an end to an historic season for the Freed-Hardeman Lion baseball team.
With the score tied 4-4 heading into the home half of the ninth, Patis drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when a pickoff attempt got past FHU first baseman Ben Ihde. After a strikeout, two walks - one intentional - loaded the bases and the Lions were hoping to get a double-play ball to send the game to extra innings.
But a Daniel Wallace pitch got away from FHU catcher Jake Todd, allowing Patis to score the winning run.
One inning earlier, the Lions (36-23) tied the game on an RBI double by Robert Prieto that scored Kyle Dearing from first. In the top of the ninth, Jesse Hykes led off with a double but Chris Thomas struck out the next three batters to strand Hykes.
Wallace (0-6) was valiant in long relief of Lion starter Andy Southard, who allowed three runs in two innings. Wallace gave up only two hits in 6-1/3 innings of relief and struck out seven.
The Lions trailed until the eighth inning but kept it close after falling behind 3-0 after two innings. Justin Mackey's two-run single in the third pulled FHU within a run and, after Avila scored in the bottom of the fifth, Ihde delivered an RBI single to get the Lions back within a run.
The loss eliminates FHU from the double-elimination bracket and closes out a season that saw the program's first conference championship since 1997 and first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Championships Opening Round.
