BASEBALL

The Huntington baseball team suffered a 2-1 loss to the Pilots of Bethel College Saturday afternoon before bouncing back with a 3-0 decision over their visitors in the nightcap. Saturday’s doubleheader wrapped up a three-game series with the Pilots that favored the Foresters 2-1.

The Pilots logged just three hits in game one but timing is everything. In BC’s first at bat, Collin Affolder doubled down the left field line and several batters later, cruised home on Bethel’s second base poke of the frame to open up a 1-0 lead.

Bethel’s last hit of the contest, an RBI-double, came in the third on the heels of a Forester throwing error, bunt and wild pitch to push the lead to 2-0.

The Foresters would pull within one, 2-1, in their half of the third thanks to the well-documented speed of Donovan Clark. After singling into shallow right-center, Clark made his way to the other corner by way of a Jamar Weaver bunt and Adam Roser single before motoring home on a passed ball.

While HU held the Pilots in check the rest of the way, the Pilots returned that same favor by limiting their hosts to just two hits to make for a low-key ending and 2-1 final.

Huntington finished with seven hits with Clark and Weaver each claiming two.

Connor West was tagged with the loss. In seven innings of work, he gave up three hits, two runs, only one of which was earned, and a walk while striking out nine.

Frame’s crew turned things around in the nightcap thanks in large part to Colton Punches. The senior hurler was sensational on the hill for the nine-inning complete-game shutout. He surrendered just five hits and two walks while striking out six. It marks HU’s third shutout of the year.

Offensively, things were quiet for Huntington until the fifth when Kyle Selvey delivered a run-scoring single to left-center for the 1-0 lead. Hunter Losekamp unleashed for his third homer of the year in the bottom of the seventh to up the lead to two and then Clark put the finishing touches on the afternoon by scoring on a wild pitch in the eighth.

Clark finished with two of his team’s six hits.

The Foresters (15-17, 13-5) are back at it on Monday when they host Taylor for a doubleheader at 3PM.