SOFTBALL

Huntington University pitcher Lairen Miller threw a perfect game against the University of Saint Francis (17-22, 10-16) Monday afternoon as the Foresters swept a home doubleheader.

Miller pitched her way into the Huntington record books in the opener, retiring all 21 batters she faced and propelling the Foresters to a 2-0 victory.

The sophomore hurler (12-7) needed just 58 pitches to navigate through seven innings. She induced four groundouts, five infield pop outs, nine fly outs and fanned three.

HU scored both runs in the sixth when Paige Eichelberger roped a double into left on a 3-0 count to give both teammates on base plenty of time to touch home.

Miller came in on relief in the nightcap to pick up a second win, an 8-3 decision. She tossed the final three frames and gave up four hits, two runs, one earned, and one walk while striking out two.

Her teammates offered plenty of offense to wrap up Huntington’s sixth sweep of the year. Casey Lehman and Reed Jahnke knocked in three runs apiece. Each logged a sacrifice fly and two-run double with Lehman posting her sac fly in the first and her RBI-double in the sixth to cap off a five-run frame for her team.

Jahnke’s big blast came in the fourth to turn a 1-1 stalemate into a 3-1 Forester advantage. USF would go on to draw even with their hosts in the top of the fifth before HU unleashed for five runs in the sixth, Jahnke’s sacrifice fly driving in run No. 2, to blow the game wide open.

The Foresters finished with eight hits and drew a season-high seven walks. In addition to Lehman and Jahnke’s contributions, Audra Klopfenstein posted two hits, an RBI and scored twice.

Today snapped the Foresters’ five-game losing skid as they improve to 20-18 overall, 15-13 in league play. They are back in action tomorrow to host Grace at 3PM.