PULASKI, Tenn. - The Freed-Hardeman Lions took two of three games over the weekend against Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College to stay in the thick of the TranSouth Conference standings.
The Lions won a slugfest on Friday, 16-9, and took the first of two on Saturday by the score of 7-5 before dropping the final game of the series, 2-0.
FHU struck early and often in the series opener, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding two more in the second and again in the third. Willy Hernandez hit a three-run homerun - his ninth of the year - in the first while Michael Clayton added a solo shot. Leo Alvarez had a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with five RBI and a pair of doubles. Hernadez rapped out three hits while Clayton and Brian Bullard each went 2-for-3.
Javy Gomez (1-0) earned his first win of the season after allowing seven runs - five earned - in 5.2 innings. Gomez walked one while striking out six. Alan Barnett picked up the save by throwing 3.1 innings in relief of Gomez.
Saturday's opener saw the RedHawks match the Lions twice after FHU put runs on the board, but the hosts couldn't accomplish the task a third time when Freed-Hardeman plated the deciding two runs in the top of the sixth.
FHU blew open a 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth with four runs, but MMC's Cliff Hardy answered with a three-run homerun off of Lion starter Carlos Pertuz to help the RedHawks score four runs of their own to tie the game back up.
But Freed-Hardeman got singles from Noslen Labrada and Greg Allen, who later pulled off a successful double steal, and manufactured a pair in the sixth that Martin Methodist would be unable to counter.
Joey Gildea (2-1) got the win after throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief of Pertuz.
The Lions looked to be in excellent position to sweep the series with staff ace Jorge Lorie on the hill for the third game, but RedHawk starter Cliff Hardy was able to scatter six hits over seven innings and kept FHU off the board as MMC salvaged the final game of the weekend.
Lorie was his usual solid self, allowing just three hits in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts. But Martin Methodist got a timely double in the third from Darin Holt - who collected all three of his team's hits - to bring in the first run, and took advantage of a pair of Freed-Hardeman errors to add an insurance run in the fourth.
Alvarez had a huge weekend at the plate, going 8-for-12 in the series with seven RBI.
FHU (15-8, 5-3) returns to action on Friday as it begins a weekend series with Bethel (Tenn.) College at Carnes Field at 4:00 PM.
