BASEBALL

It was a friendly neighborhood rivalry Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field where Manchester University downed the HU softball team twice, 5-6, 11-10, in a non-conference doubleheader.

Game one came down to the last frame. Down to their last three outs, the Foresters stepped up to the plate trailing 5-3 but it didn’t take long for the visitors to make up that difference. After Paige Eichelberger led off with a double to right, Abby Keaffaber launched one over the left field fence to knot things up at 5s. It was the New Castle native’s second career dinger.

Spartan pitcher Madisyn Walter worked three straight outs after that to send the game to the bottom of the seventh where, with bases loaded, Alexis Mokos posted a walk-off single for the win much to the chagrin of Gower and crew.

Leading up to the seven-inning finale, HU scattered runs in the first, second and fifth frames. Huntington’s first run came by way of Eichelberger’s RBI-ground out after which Casey Lehman doubled in a run in the second and Joelle Beals drove in Eichelberger with a single to third three frames later.

Keaffaber claimed two of HU’s nine hits to go along with two RBI. Lehman and Eichelberger each picked up a pair of hits and an RBI while Kennedy Krull also registered two base pokes on the day.

The Foresters’ defense got them into some of trouble as they committed three errors which led to two unearned runs in a game that saw the Spartans score in five of their seven at bats. The W is Manchester’s first of 2018.

Mallory West took the loss for HU. She tossed the first four innings and then took to the circle again in the seventh giving up nine hits, five runs and two walks while striking out three.

There was no shortage of offense in the nightcap and just like the opener, it came down to the wire. This time is was Mallorie Jennings’ sacrifice fly that brought an abrupt ending to the game. The Spartans scored four runs in the final two frames to turn their three-run deficit of 11-8 after five into their second victory of the day.

Manchester put points on the board in every inning but the fifth. They hammered out 18 hits and took advantage of four HU errors to the tune of three unearned runs. The Spartans collected three long balls, two at the bat of Laurren Ladwig.

Gower’s crew tallied more than half their runs in the second. HU batted around and in the process, Lehman and Sophia Beachy each doubled in a pair of runs while Eichelberger also knocked in two runs with a singled up the middle for a six-run frame.

Beachy picked up her first of three RBI in the first on a groundout. Manchester was nearly as active through the first two innings by logging five runs and then pulled within one, 7-6, by the third.

The next three frames were a wash as each team touched home four times for an 11-10 ball game. Huntington’s offense came by way of Beals’ two-run double in the fifth while the final two runs were scored on back-to-back throwing errors in the sixth.

It was all Manchester after that as the Spartans’ tying run in the seventh came compliments of their third homer – this one by Sydney Thompson. Three batters later Jennings capped off the comeback with her game-winning sacrifice fly.

Beachy registered a pair of base knocks and logged three RBI. Beals and Eichelberger also finished with two hits to go along with two RBI. Amber Brown and Karley Blankenship rounded out five Foresters who posted two hits in the nightcap.

West was tagged with her second loss on the day. She tossed four frames and gave up eight hits and six runs, three of which were earned.

HU (1-5) now turns its attention to league play. They open up at home against Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.