BASEBALL

In a clash between the top two teams in the league, the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan bested the Forester baseball team twice, 5-4, 5-2, at Forest Glen to complete the regular season series sweep over their hosts. The Wildcats’ first win over HU was a 1-0 decision last Tuesday.

With these two Ws, Huntington drops to 13-15 overall, 11-3 in league play while IWU improves to 28-14 overall, 14-5 in conference action.

The opener was a seesaw affair as both teams jockeyed for the advantage. The Wildcats struck first with a pair of runs in the second but HU was quick to answer in their half of the frame by finding home three times for a 3-2 advantage.

It was a combo of solid hitting and a handful of Wildcat errors that led to Huntington’s three runs. After four straight singles, the last two RBI-hits by Adrian Perez and Nick Davit, then began a string of botched plays by the visitors with the third error, a misplayed grounder, allowing another HU run to score.

Huntington extended their lead to two, 4-2, in the fifth on Nick Davit’s sacrifice fly before IWU’s bats came to life again in the sixth to the tune of three runs on four hits which included Brady West’s lead off solo shot over the right field fence. It was the game’s second lead change and proved permanent, as the Foresters would threaten in their last at bat with the tying run on second before winning pitcher David Corbin worked his third strikeout of the afternoon for the final out.

Mason Shinabery was tagged with the loss on the bump. He tossed the first six innings and gave up seven hits, five runs and two walks while striking out seven.

Offensively, Jamar Weaver went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice. Tyler Zimske and Perez each collected a pair of hits while Davit added a hit and two RBI.

Frame’s crew got off to a great start in the nightcap by skirting in front of their visitors 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Donovan Clark led off with a single into right, stole second and then came around to score on Adam Roser’s run-scoring double. Roser then advanced to third on Dan Lichty’s bunt for a hit before sneaking home while the Wildcats’ were busy in a rundown with Lichty.

The Foresters held onto their lead over the next three frames before Wesleyan came roaring back. After scoring in the fifth to trim their deficit to one, the Wildcats plated four runs in the sixth to part ways with their hosts. The visitors took advantage of a pair of walks, the second intentional, on either side of a hit batter to load the bases. It set the stage for big hits by Steven Busby and Eric Wentz as each knocked in two runs with a single and double respectively.

There was no change to the scoreboard over the final three innings to make for a quiet ending.

DJ Moore took the loss for Huntington. He spent the first seven frames on the hill giving up five hits, five runs and two walks while striking out 11.

Offensively, HU outhit IWU 7-5 with the top of the order in Clark, Roser and Lichty posting two hits apiece. Roser was the only Forester to register an RBI.

The Foresters are back at Forest Glen tomorrow night to host Taylor for a single nine at 6PM.