JACKSON, Tenn. - The Freed-Hardeman Lions saw their season come to a close on Wednesday in the TranSouth Conference Tournament after a 6-1 loss to Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) University.
One day after scoring 17 runs on 12 hits, the Lion offense struggled to get anything going against Trojan starter Nick Shoup. Shoup allowed only two hits over seven innings while striking out nine.
TNU, meanwhile, never had a big inning against any of Freed-Hardeman's pitchers, but scored runs in five of the nine innings to slowly build its lead. Chris Lowe hit the first pitch of the game from Joey Gildea (2-4) over the centerfield wall, but Gildea came back and struck out the next three hitters.
The Trojans tacked on runs in the third and the fourth and added two more in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the inning. FHU finally got on the board in the bottom of the frame after a leadoff walk was issued to Johanny Ramirez. Ramirez advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a deep fly ball to right off the bat of George Otero, then came home on Shoup's second wild pitch of the inning.
FHU had another chance in the seventh after Michael Clayton singled to lead off the inning and advanced two more bases on centerfielder Omar DeJesus's error on the hit. But Shoup was able to strand him on third after getting Noslen Labrada to fly out to shallow left, striking out Ramirez, and retiring Otero on a deep fly ball to right center to end the inning.
Trevecca added another run in the top of the ninth on Cody Heggie's solo homerun.
The Lions made one last threat in the bottom of the inning after Clayton singled with two outs followed by a Labrada walk, but TNU reliever Drew Durossette ended the threat by fanning Ramirez to end the game.
Leo Alvarez got FHU's only other hit, a single in the third that extended his hitting streak to 17 games.
Freed-Hardeman finishes the 2009 campaign with a record of 35-16.
