SOFTBALL

The Huntington softball team split its twin bill with Grace College Friday afternoon at Miller Field to move to 12-10 on the year, 7-5 in league play for a share of the fourth spot in the standings. After a 4-2 come-from-behind win in the opener, the Foresters were on the wrong end of a 5-4 comeback W by the Lancers.

Casey Lehman paced HU at the plate by driving in two of HU’s four runs. Her first RBI-base poke came in the first after Joelle Beals opened up the frame with a single after which Sophia Beachy did the same setting up Lehman’s run-scoring single up the middle for an early 1-0 Huntington advantage.

The Foresters left five runners stranded over the course of the next five frames without pushing a run across home plate. Meanwhile the hosts scored twice in the second for a 2-1 lead that held until the top of the seventh.

It was déjà vu in HU’s last at bat as Beals and Beachy started things off with back-to-back singles prepping Lehman for another big hit. This time the clutch hitter, on an 0-2 count, found a hole up the middle to drive in Beals for a second time. Beachy scored on the same play on an errant throw from the outfield.

Abby Keaffaber added an insurance run by sending one to the warning track for a two out RBI-double. Down to their last three outs, Grace opened up with a single but Lairen Miller quickly kiboshed the Lancers’ rally by working three straight outs to wrap up the win.

Miller scattered five hits and gave up two runs and two walks while striking out two for her seventh win of the season.

Gower’s squad posted nine hits with Lehman claiming three of them to go along with two RBI while Beals and Beachy each finished with two base pokes. Keaffaber added a run-scoring hit in addition to drawing two walks to reach base three of her four plate appearances.

The Lancers returned the favor in the nightcap, just not in such dramatic fashion. After a 1-1 deadlock through the first four innings, HU struck for two runs in the top of the fifth by way of Keaffaber’s second RBI-double of the day and a Paige Eichelberger run-scoring single immediately after for a 3-1 advantage.

Grace erupted for five hits to the tune of four runs in their half of the fifth to surge ahead 5-3. Beachy pulled the Foresters within a run in the sixth by driving in Miller with shot to left-center. Unfortunately, their rally was cut short as they left two runners stranded before a 1-2-3 seventh sent the visitors home with a loss.

Just like game one, Beals and Beachy each logged a pair of hits. As a team, the Foresters registered nine hits to Grace’s 11.

Mallory West took the loss for HU by giving up seven hits, four runs and two walks while striking out one. The rookie hurler tossed the first four frames and started the fifth before being relieved by Miller.

Huntington is back in action on Monday to host Saint Francis at 3:00 p.m.