BASEBALL

The Forester baseball team opened up its 2020 season by splitting with Bethel (Tenn.), 3-1, 1-2, Saturday afternoon Kahlden Complex. The Wildcats came into the doubleheader with seven games under their belt as they move to 5-4 on the year while HU starts off 1-1.

Senior Alex McCutcheon picked up where he left off last spring by allowing just three hits and one run in 5.2 innings of work to pick up the season-opening win. The southpaw fanned seven players while giving up just one walk after which Camden Dice made his debut in Forester green. The junior transfer tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless and hitless relief to pick up the save.

The Foresters needed just two pitches to take control of game one. In the top of the first on an 0-1 count, Daniel Lichty launched one over the right field fence for an early 1-0 lead that proved permanent. Eli Knust’s RBI-double in the second doubled HU’s advantage to 2-0.

The score stood until the sixth when the two teams traded runs. Huntington’s came by way of Sam Kimmorley’s sacrifice fly while Nicholas Proto’s two-out blast finally put the Wildcats on the board.

Jarrett Gray finished with three of HU’s eight hits. He also scored a pair of runs.

The nightcap was a doozy that took extended innings to decide the winner. Both pitching staffs were stingy, giving up a combined three runs over the course of 12 frames.

The Wildcats finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the twelfth with a little small ball that eventually saw the winning run score from second on an RBI-single to shallow right-center. Bethel’s first run came in the bottom of the ninth on back-to-back doubles.

Huntington’s lone score saw Ian McCutcheon double down the right field line in the top of the third and then come around to score on Langston Ginder’s base poke. Frame’s crew hammered out ten hits and left runners stranded in all but two frames. McCutcheon and Owen Young each collected three hits while Gray pounded out two to finish the series with five hits.

Four Foresters spent time on the bump. Mason Shinabery got the starting nod and went six frames during which he gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out nine for the no decision. Joey Butz and Dice combined to spend the next five frames on the mound before Brent Turner gave up the winning run in the twelfth to be charged with the loss.

HU is back on the road next weekend for a four-game series with IU Southeast.