SOFTBALL

The 7th-seeded Huntington softball team jumped out to an early lead only to watch it slip away by the sixth on the way to a 5-4 loss to 2nd-seeded Indiana Wesleyan in first round action of the Crossroads League tournament hosted at top-seeded Marian University.

The loss sends the Foresters into the consolation bracket where they will face the loser of the Taylor/Goshen tomorrow at noon in an elimination game at the MU Field.

For the first five innings, sophomore Meghan Fretz held the Wildcats in check by scattering just three hits to hold IWU scoreless while her teammates got the job done at the plate to build a 4-0 cushion. Huntington’s first two runs came in the first on Denaia Rice’s RBI-single and a misplayed grounder.

Joelle Beals then knocked in HU’s third run in the fourth. The upset-minded Foresters continued to put the pressure on the Wildcats by adding another in the sixth thanks to a busted play that ended with an overthrow at third to allow courtesy runner Amber Klopfenstein to scamper home.

Unfortunately, IWU’s bats came to life in the sixth. It started with Addie Benham’s RBI-single and three hits later it was all tied up at 4-4. Benham continued to be the thorn in HU’s side. Not only did she take to the circle to work a 1-2-3 seventh, she also opened up the bottom of the seventh by roping a double. It was her courtesy runner who eventually scored the game-winner.

Huntington mustered eight hits by eight different Foresters while the Wildcats finished with ten.

MacKyndsea Burke tossed the final frame for Gower’s crew to be charged with the loss by giving up three hits and the game-winning run.

The Foresters (17-31) split against the Wildcats (42-12-1) in regular season play.