BASEBALL

The HU baseball team didn’t fare so well on day two of the Clayton Pfeiffer Memorial Classic as they dropped a pair of games to wrap up the weekend 1-3. Against host Missouri Baptist, Huntington suffered a 7-1 loss after which the Foresters were on the wrong end of an 8-6 decision with the College of the Ozarks.

Against the Spartans, Huntington’s only offense came in the fourth on a Donovan Clark sacrifice fly that drove in Jake Hansen who had picked up his second hit of the day just a few batters earlier.

It was a pivotal fourth as MBU plated four runs in their half of the frame. Not only did it extend their lead to six at 7-1, it also proved the last time either team would score as the final three innings featured just one hit by each squad for a rather uneventful finish.

Prior to the fourth, the hosts scored once in the first and twice in the third for a 3-0 lead before they blew it open in the fourth.

It wasn’t the cleanest of games. Between the two teams, they committed six errors but it was HU’s two blunders that came at a cost – two unearned runs.

In addition to Hansen posting two hits, Nick Davit also finished with a pair as the duo accounted for all but two of their team’s six hits.

DJ Moore was charged with the loss. He went the distance to give up six hits, seven runs and three walks while striking out five.

After a short break, the Foresters took to the field again to face the College of the Ozarks hoping for a second W against the Bobcats in less than 24 hours but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

The first three frames didn’t produce any runs for either team but the sticks heated up in the fourth. HU struck for four runs in their at bat. Lichty singled into right field to drive in his team’s first run. Davit followed suit with a base knock to the same area on either side of sacrifice flies by Perez and Hansen for the 4-0 lead.

The Cats closed the gap to just one in their half of the inning. Coach Frame’s crew stayed the course to add what they hoped were two insurance runs. Jamar Weaver’s run-scoring shot up the middle in the fifth upped the lead to 5-3 after which back-to-back doubles by Adam Roser and Clark in the sixth stretched the advantage to three at 6-3.

But as it was, Ozarks pieced together five hits on the way to finding home just as many times in the bottom of the sixth to turn the tables and establish their first lead that proved permanent.

The Foresters sent three pitchers to the hill with Tarrin Beachy stepping in on relief in the sixth where he gave up three hits and two runs to be tagged with the loss.

Offensively, HU outhit their opponent 12-11. Clark and Lichty each went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in a run. Weaver and Roser collected two hits apiece.

Huntington heads into their home opener against IU Kokomo on Tuesday, with a record of 2-12.