JACKSON, Tenn. – Union traveled to No. 22 (NAIA) Freed-Hardeman for a midweek contest, renewing the “Battle of Highway 45”. The Bulldogs faltered in the bottom of the eleventh inning, losing 7-4.
Freed-Hardeman struck first in the bottom of the second, scoring a run off a Cam Madding single. Grant Ross answered for the Bulldogs in the top half of the third inning with a rbi groundout to first base. The long ball got going midway through this game. Jordan Carter and Justin Whitman hit a pair of solo homers to put Freed back out in front in the bottom of the third inning 3-1. In the sixth inning, Ross and Mitch Sisk homered to knot the score at three.
After ending the ninth in a 3-3 tie, Union grabbed a lead on a Canyon Pace walk in the top of the tenth inning, scoring Tanner Parmely for the would-be winning run. With one last chance for the Lions offense in the bottom of the tenth inning, Carter homered once more down the left field to send the game to the eleventh inning. Brady Spring walked off the Bulldogs with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eleventh to take home the win in the “Battle of Highway 45”.
The Union pitching staff allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits and two errors in the loss. Caden Cutrell and Ross each had a three-hit game for the Bulldogs. SIsk picked up two hits in the loss to Freed.
Union will travel to Pensacola, Fla. for a three game set versus the University of West Florida. The first game of the series will take place Friday evening at 5:00 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m. Visit uuathletics.com for streaming options.
