HENDERSON, Tenn. -- Max Montgomery connected for four hits at the plate and Jake Merda collected a pair of RBIs, but Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) pulled away late from the University of St. Francis baseball team in game one before duplicating the feat in the nightcap, scoring 10-6 and 7-5 victories in a doubleheader sweep over the Fighting Saints on Saturday.

Even though St. Francis (3-9) registered double-digit hit totals in each contest, Freed-Hardeman (13-3) put up big innings offensively in each of the two games and never looked back courtesy of its combined 22 hits on the day.  Along with Montgomery, Hayden Host (three), Merda (two), Nate Maliska (two) and Ryan Louthan (two) were the only Saints to record hits in each end of the twinbill.

Game 1:  Freed-Hardeman 10, USF 6
The Saints appeared to be on their way to their fourth win of the season, leading 4-1 with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning only to have Freed-Hardeman score five runs.  Three walks and a single set the stage for a back-breaking grand slam which allowed the hosts to overtake the lead at 6-4.  The Lions then strung together three straight doubles as part of a five-hit attack in the bottom of the fifth inning to score four more additional runs before the Saints plated single runs in each of their final two at-bats.

The fourth and fifth innings erased a productive day at the plate for USF's hitters, who tallied 12 total hits in the contest, including a two-RBI double from Montgomery and one RBI each from Louthan, Brian Graves and Christian Rosales.  Montgomery, Graves, Ethan Fleming and Host all collected two hits apiece in the contest, while six separate Saints scored a run for USF.

Carter Garrelts (0-2) took the loss for the Saints on the mound, giving up three hits and five earned run in his 3 1/3 innings of work.

Jackson Hines was credited with the win for FHU, upping his record to 3-0 on the year.

Game 2:  Freed-Hardeman 7, USF 6
USF looked to rebound in the nightcap, coming back from a 2-1 deficit after the first inning by scoring four runs in the third, but a two-run fourth inning from the Lions followed by a one-run seventh and two-run eighth quickly dampened the momentum, eventually leading to a 6-5 USF loss.

The Saints trailed 2-1 when six singles produced four runs in the third inning to help pull USF out to a 5-2 lead.  Freed-Hardeman, however, powered its way back into the mix in the fourth inning when the Lions authored back-to-back extra base hits to plate two runs cutting their scoring margin to 5-4.

Noah Munson and Montgomery sparked the USF offense in the third frame accounting for back-to-back infield singles to lead off the frame which paved the way for Maliska, Merda, Host and Louthan to all follow with RBIs.  Merda also drove in USF's run in the first frame with a RBI-single to centerfield.

Drake Blackwood led the 13-hit attack for the Lions, who would go on to score two more runs in the eighth inning via a two-run homerun from the senior.  He went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in.

Zac Blazekovich (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Saints, giving up two earned runs on three hits.  In total, the Saints gifted the FHU hitters with three free passes which all came around to score.

Colton Bryant was credited with the win for FHU in relief, giving up two hits while walking one in 6.0 innings pitched.

Up Next
The Saints open their 2026 conference season with a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader versus Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) on Friday (March 6).  First pitch at Slammers Stadium is set for 1 pm.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.