SOFTBALL

FRIDAY
The Huntington softball team didn’t have an answer for the Maple Leafs’ hot bats to suffer a pair of losses, 15-3, 9-4, to Goshen (12-18, 6-7) Friday afternoon at the Ingold Athletic Complex.

After two scoreless innings in the opener, the wheels fell off in the third when the hosts pieced together six hits, including a three-run dinger, and took advantage of an HU error and four walks to erupt for eight runs. It was the beginning of the end as the Maple Leafs reeled off seven more runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach. It was the fourth time this year Goshen has reached double digit runs.

Gower’s crew finally got on the board in the fourth on Anna Weigold’s RBI-groundout. They would get two more back in the fifth at the bat of Kennedy Krull who knocked in both runs on a single to center but it wouldn’t be enough as the game was called by way of the mercy rule.

Meghan Fretz was charged with the loss. She threw the first 2.1 innings and gave up six hits, six runs and three walks.

In the nightcap, the Maple Leafs surged ahead by five after two frames to take a lead that they wouldn’t surrender. HU got within three in the top of the fourth on run-scoring singles by Denaia Rice and Rozlynn Everhart but Goshen stretched it to 6-2 by the inning’s end. The would go on to outscore their visitors 3-2 the rest of the way to complete the sweep.

Jada Crofoot and Keira Stacy each drove in a run in the seven to account for Huntington’s final two runs and two of their teams seven hits.

In her first collegiate start, MacKyndsea Burke tossed the first five frames to give up 12 hits, eight runs and two walks while striking out three in the losing effort.

The Foresters (8-16, 4-10) will look to regroup tomorrow when the travel to #11 IWU for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with the Wildcats.

SATURDAY
Having split with Indiana Wesleyan, ranked 10th at the time, just ten days ago, the HU softball team wrapped up the regular season series with the Wildcats by splitting again, 8-11, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Field.

Meghan Fretz pitched a dandy in the nightcap to pick up the complete-game win by giving up nine hits two runs and two walks while striking out two. It’s the sophomore’s second W over the Wildcats this year and her sixth overall win of the season.

The game’s first run came at the bat Kiera Stacy who knocked in Jada Crofoot in the top of the fourth for a 1-0 HU lead. The Wildcats evened things up in fifth but HU was right back at it in their next at bat.

With two outs, Denaia Rice drew a walk, stole second and then came around to score on a misplayed grounder. Gower’s crew then strung together three straight singles with Hannah Shoupe’s driving in what proved the game-winning run. IWU would get one back in the bottom of the seventh but left the tying run on base to wrap up the afternoon.

Stacy finished with two of her team’s six hits and an RBI to pace the Foresters.

Huntington bolted out in front, 4-1, in the opener highlighted by Karley Blankenship’s solo shot in the second. But it wouldn’t hold as the 11th-ranked Wildcats took full advantage of back-to-back walks and a hit batsman in the third to load the bases on the way to plating three runs in the frame for a 4-4 stalemate.

HU countered in the fourth to enjoy one more lead thanks to Mallory West’s RBI-double and Jada Crofoot’s runs-scoring groundout. The visitors’ 6-4 advantage didn’t make it out of the frame as IWU manufactured four runs and then piled on three more in the sixth to open up an 11-6 lead.

The Foresters didn’t go down without a fight as they found a way to score twice in their last at bat before leaving two on base for a rally cut short. HU outhit their hosts 15-9 but the tell-tale story was the visitors leaving 11 base runners stranded.

Paige Eichelberger racked up three hits and an RBI. Rice also collected three base pokes. Stacy added two hits and two RBI while Crofoot and Blankenship each recorded a pair of hits and an RBI.

Fretz spent two innings in the circle and gave up six hits, five runs and a walk to be tagged with the loss.

Huntington (9-17, 5-11) is back at it on Monday when they host Saint Francis at 3:00 p.m.