SOFTBALL
The HU softball team is headed back to Indiana with a 4-6 record after wrapping up their time at the Tucson Invitational Games by winning two of their last four games.
On Wednesday, the Foresters lost a heartbreaker, 5-4, to Central College after which they made quick work of MacMurray College 11-2.
In a showdown against the Dutch, Huntington found themselves down throughout but kept coming back before eventually conceding in the eighth. Central jumped out to a 2-0 lead after their opening at bat but Joelle Beals’ RBI-groundout knocked in Karley Blankenship who started HU’s side of the frame with a single to trim the lead to one after the first inning of play.
Marty Harris logged the game’s only triple to drive in run No. 2 for the Foresters in the fourth for the 2-2 tie. The Dutch surged ahead again by one in the fifth but with a little help by way of an errant throw, Gower’s crew forced extra innings when Beals posted another RBI in the seventh. This time it was by way of a single that drove in Harris who had reached base on the aforementioned error.
The Foresters returned the favor in the eighth by committing two errors to which Central took full advantage to touch home twice. With the international tie breaker in place, HU was able to get one back on Mallory West’s run-scoring single that drove in Sophia Beachy who started off on second but they would get no closer for the disappointing ending.
Meghan Fretz was charged with the loss. She spent all eight innings in the circle to give up five hits, five runs, only two of which were earned, and three walks while striking out two.
HU outhit the Dutch 8-5 with Kennedy Krull picking up two hits while Beals finished with a base poke and two RBI.
Huntington bounced back in convincing fashion later that afternoon to take out their frustration on MacMurray. The Highlanders scored twice in the fourth but by then the damage was already done as HU erupted for six runs in the first and added three runs in each of the next two frames to blow the game open.
The Foresters batted around in the first highlighted by Hannah Shoupe jumpstarting the scoring frenzy with a triple. HU finished the frame with three hits and took advantage of three Highlander blunders with five of the six runs pegged unearned.
HU was gifted two more MacMurray errors in the second on the way to scoring three more unearned runs. Another triple highlighted the inning – this time at the bat of Jada Crofoot. The pattern continued as Shoupe logged her second triple of the day in the third but this time around, it was timely hitting that upped the score by three more compliments of RBI-hits by Denaia Rice and Kiera Stacy and a sac fly by Beachy.
When all was said and done, HU hammered out ten hits to the Highlanders’ six. Nine different Foresters logged a hit with Shoupe leading the pack with her two triples. Huntington played error-free ball while MC finished with five errors.
West pitched the first two frames for the win. She gave up just two hits and struck out one after which Anna Weigold made her first appearance of the year on the mound. She tossed the final three innings and gave up four hits, two hits and a walk.
The Foresters split again on Thursday, beating Augsburg University 5-4 before dropping a 5-4 decision to the University of Wisconsin Platteville.
Against the Auggies, HU showed a lot grit by battling back from a 4-1 deficit to steal the win. After giving up three runs to Augsburg in the top of the third, HU got one back in their half of the frame on Rice’s RBI-double up the middle to drive in Kiera Stacy who singled to right a few batters earlier.
AU added to their lead in the fifth for a 4-1 difference but Gower’s crew made their fast and furious comeback run in that same frame. After Stacy and Marty Harris posted a single and walk respectively, Blankenship drilled a shot into left to drive in HU’s first run of the inning. Another single, this time by Beals, allowed Harris to touch home after which Blankenship scored on a passed ball and Beals eventually scored on a wild pitch for a 5-4 Huntington lead that would stick.
Both teams registered six hits with Stacy collecting two for HU while the top of the order in Blankenship, Rice and Beals each finished with a hit and RBI.
Fretz picked up her second complete-game win of the week, giving up six hits, four runs, two of which were earned, and three walks while striking out six.
Suffering a 5-4 loss to Wisconsin Platteville wasn’t exactly how Huntington had hoped to wrap up their time in Arizona – especially given how the game unfolded. The Foresters enjoyed as much as a three-run advantage before watching that lead dissolve to just one by the bottom of the sixth only to see the tables turn when Alejandra Ochoa singled a hard ground ball to right field to knock in a pair of runs for the walk-off win for UWP in the bottom of the seventh.
HU managed just five hits with Beachy and Krull each posting two hits and an RBI to lead the way. Huntington logged just one error to the Pioneers’ five but couldn’t take advantage of the disparity as just one of HU’s four runs proved unearned.
West took the loss by giving up 12 hits, five runs and two walks while striking out four.
Six of HU’s eight games in Tucson were against NCAA Division III schools. Each game this week was the first time in program history the Foresters faced their various opponents.
Gower and crew now turn their attention to league play. What was originally scheduled as a home series was adjusted because of poor field conditions so now HU will travel to Spring Arbor on Saturday for a doubleheader with the Cougars at 1:00 p.m.