SOFTBALL

The HU softball team’s home opener didn’t go as planned as they dropped a pair, 3-1, 22-8, to Mount Vernon Nazarene (10-6, 5-1) Tuesday afternoon. With these losses, the Foresters drop to 5-9 overall, 1-4 in league play.

The Cougars tapped into four of their nine hits in the fourth to produce the game’s first two runs. They added an insurance in the top of the sixth before Gower’s squad finally got on the board in their half of the frame.

Jada Crofoot blasted a shot to the right field fence to double in Joelle Beals who had collected her second single of the day two batters earlier. With the tying run on second, Kennedy Krull landed a single to left but their rally was squelched when Megan Prater, pinch running for Crofoot, was tagged out at home.

The Foresters threatened in their last at bat with runners on first and second with just one out but Jennifer Kurelic worked her way out of the jam to pick up the complete-game win for the Cougars.

Meghan Fretz also went the distance in the losing effort. She gave up nine hits, three runs and a walk while striking out one.

It was a rough start to the nightcap for the Foresters as they gave up nine runs through the first two frames to find themselves down 9-3 but showed signs of new life in the following two innings by pulling within a run, 9-8, after four.

Unfortunately, HU’s momentum was short-lived as Mount Vernon manufactured three runs in the fifth before unleashing for ten runs in the sixth to blow the game wide open. The two frames saw the Cougars hammer out nine hits and take advantage of three HU errors to have their way with their hosts and quit one inning short thanks to the mercy rule.

Three different Cougars clocked shots out of the yard including Alyson Adams’ grand slam in the second. When all was said and done, MVNU logged 19 hits to HU’s eight. Huntington posted five doubles behind a pair from Crofoot. The sophomore DP drove in a run on her first two-bagger in the first and collected two more on her second double in the fourth to finish with three RBI.

Paige Eichelberger was 3-for-3 at the plate, drove in a run and scored three times. Karley Blankenship finished with an RBI-single while Kiera Stacy added a two-run double.

Three Foresters spent time in the circle with starting pitcher Mallory West taking the loss. The southpaw tossed the first 1.1 innings and gave up seven hits, nine runs, six of which were earned, and a walk.

HU will look to bounce back tomorrow when they host #11 Indiana Wesleyan at 3:00 p.m.