SOFTBALL

A last minute reschedule, the HU softball team hosted Taylor University (29-13, 23-11) Monday afternoon to wrap up the regular season. Just like the first time around, the two teams split. The Foresters enjoyed a 4-1 win before the Trojans took control of the nightcap for a 7-1 decision.

Lairen Miller tossed a dandy in the opener to limit TU to just five hits on the way to a shutout until Erin Cozad sailed one out of the park with two outs in the top of the seventh for Taylor’s lone run. The sophomore hurler gave up two walks while striking out three.

Offensively, the Foresters struck early and often. Sophia Beachy ripped a double deep into right-center to knock in her team’s first two runs in the first. Kennedy Krull then made it 3-0 when she creamed a shot into the tennis courts in the second for her second dinger of the year, the team’s sixth.

A pair of back-to-back Trojan errors led to an insurance run for Huntington in the third to round out the hosts’ scoring.

Taylor returned the favor in game two. The visitors took command with a 3-0 lead after three, went into cruise control mode for a few frames before piling on four more runs in the seventh for the lopsided win. HU got one back in the fourth on another TU error but would get no closer.

Meghan Fretz took the loss for HU by giving up six hits, three runs, two earned, and a walk while striking out one. She tossed the first two innings and started the third before being relieved by Miller who finished out the contest.

Gower’s crew scattered five hits with Casey Lehman and Krull each tallying two base pokes.

The Foresters (22-24, 17-19) enter the Crossroads League Tournament as the 6th-seed and will face 3rd-seeded Taylor on Wednesday at noon at TU.