BASEBALL

The 4th-seeded HU baseball team grudgingly conceded a 12-9 loss to 2nd-seeded Taylor in the title game of the Crossroads League Tournament Wednesday afternoon at TU’s Winterholter Field. The loss brings to a close Huntington’s season.

The Foresters got off to a hot 3-0 start. Ian McCutcheon, who made his way on base with a single up the middle, eventually touched home on a wild pitch in the first frame. Jarett Gray also used some nifty baserunning to touch home on an error after stealing third in the second. Sam Kimmorley followed up by smashing one over the left field fence for run No. 3.

The Trojans made it up in the top of the third for a 3-3 stalemate but Satchell Wilson, after drawing a base on balls, stole his way to third and then snuck home on a wild pitch in the home half of the frame to put his team back on top 4-3.

While the Foresters took an extended break offensively after that, TU used the middle innings to erupt for nine runs, which included two homers in the fifth, which turned the tides from a one-run deficit to a 12-4 advantage.

It would be a lead they would hold onto until the bottom of the ninth when HU batted around to keep things interesting and prove they can never be counted out. After Kimmorley led off with a walk, he made his way to the other corner on a Max Moser single to set the stage for Daniel Lichty’s clutch RBI-single. McCutcheon also came up with a run-scoring  base poke for a 12-6 difference.

Langston Ginder kept things rolling with another walk to load the bases. Back-to-back RBI-hits by Wilson and Matt Wolff closed the gap to 12-9 but that’s where the story ended as Luke Shively worked three straight outs after that to slam the door shut on the heroics HU was scheming.

Noah Arbuckle took the loss for Huntington after giving up seven hits and six runs in two innings on the bump.

The Foresters swiped seven bases to bring their season total to 134 which crushes the previous record of 121 set last season. Wilson was a brilliant 30-for-30 in stolen bases to lead Frame’s crew while Ginder and Lichty finished with 21 and 20 respectively.

HU finishes the year with an overall record of 27-23.