BASEBALL

The Huntington baseball team kicked off spring break by heading to southern Indiana on Friday where they lost a pair of games, 5-1, 8-7, to #18 IU Southeast at Jeffersonville High School. For the Grenadiers (2-7), it was their first taste of victory this season and snapped a four-game skid against the Foresters.

HU was quiet at the plate in game one as they managed five hits that resulted in just one run. Matt Wolff accounted for that run when he singled in Ian McCutcheon. It was their only offense of the afternoon while their hosts, after scoring in the third, pieced together a four-run sixth to pull ahead for the win.

Tyler Papenbrock was charged with the loss. He tossed the first 5.2 innings and gave up seven hits, four runs and three walks while striking out six before being relieved by Grant Simmons who worked IUSE’s final out but not before giving up two hits, a run and two walks.

The nightcap had a different feel as HU jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Huntington tapped into a little small ball to score their first three runs with the first two compliments of sacrifice flies by Jaden Deel and Bryce Deckman in the second while the third came by way of Jarret Gray’s fielder’s choice in the third. Later in the frame, Sebastian Kuhns knocked in run #4 with a base poke to right.

HU’s 4-0 advantage was short-lived as the Grenadiers fired right back in bottom of the third by erupting for seven hits to plate five runs. Fast forward to a busy sixth where Satchell Wilson delivered a two-out blast over the left field fence with two runners on to put his team back on top 7-5.

Again, IUSE immediately answered by hammering out three hits and taking advantage of an error in their half of the frame to match HU’s three runs and jump back on top 8-7. It proved the final score but not before Langston Ginder, representing the typing run, led off the seventh with a single to keep things interesting. Unfortunately reliever Conner Fries retired the next three Foresters to secure IUSE’s win.

Max Meisner took the loss for HU. In two innings on the bump, the junior reliever gave up two hits and three runs, two of which were earned, while striking out two.

With these losses, HU drops to 6-3 on the season. Frame and crew are back in action tomorrow at noon to take on #22 UNOH.