BASEBALL

With the top spot in the league standings on the line, the Forester baseball team outlasted the Knights of Marian University (18-12, 10-4) in walk-off fashion for a 3-2 win at Forest Glen. With this win, HU takes sole possession of first and improves to 18-9 overall, 12-4 in CL action while the Knights drop to 18-12 on the year, 10-4 in league play.

The two squads will meet again on Tuesday for a doubleheader to wrap-up the season series.

While a walk-off win should be cause for an unadulterated celebration, tonight’s ending didn’t exactly playout like that. Tied at 1-1 after nine, the game headed to a tenth inning where Skyler McCool sent his second pitch out of the yard to give the visitors a 2-1 advantage.

Staring at a one-run deficit, the Foresters didn’t back down from the challenge. Ian McCutcheon ripped a one-out double to deep left-center that chased starting pitcher Matt Burleton off the mound after which pinch hitter Jarret Gray came up with a clutch single into right to drive in McCutcheon for the tying run.

Donovan Clark kept things rolling by using his speed to beat an infield dribbler followed by Daniel Lichty drawing a walk to load the bases and set the stage for a dramatic finish. After a groundout for out number two, Austin Pritchard stepped up to the plate and didn’t disappoint.

The junior transfer clocked one over the right-center fence for what appeared to be a walk-off grand slam and a 6-2 final. Unfortunately, it won’t officially go in the books as such. When all the dust had settled, Frame’s crew still got to hang their hat on the win but because they began their celebration too early, Pritchard was granted, at no fault of his own, a walk-off double and was then charged with the final out for passing a preceding runner.

It was a pitcher’s duel through the first six scoreless frames as both starting pitchers proved stingy with HU rookie Joey Butz giving up just one hit while Burleton surrendered three. Marian finally cracked the scoreboard in the seventh on a two-out long ball by Caden Jones forcing Butz to take a seat.

Huntington answered right back in their half of the seventh with a Jake Hansen RBI-groundout to draw things even at 1-1 where the score remained until the unconventional ending.

HU finished with nine hits to Marian’s six. Pritchard finished 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI to pace his team.

Mason Shinabery tossed the final 3.1 innings to earn the win on the bump. The junior hurler gave up three hits, one run and three walks while striking out two. MU reliever Jared Berger spent the final two outs on the mound to be tagged with the loss having given up three hits, one run and a walk.

The Foresters, winners of six straight, hit the road this weekend to Goshen for single nine on Friday and doubleheader on Saturday.