BASEBALL

The Forester baseball team opened up conference play by sweeping Spring Arbor, 10-5, 8-3, Thursday afternoon at Forest Glen Park. With these wins, HU improves to ## overall, 2-0 in CL action.

In the opener, Frame’s crew erupted for six runs in the seventh to race past Spring Arbor after trailing 5-0 early in the contest. Leading up the late-game scoring frenzy, it was a quiet first four frames as neither team found home.

The Cougars got on the board first in the top of the fifth and then piled on four more runs in the sixth. While things seems bleak for the hosts, Langston Ginder kickstarted the comeback with a two-run blast in HU’s half of the sixth. Four batters later, Jordan Malott doubled in another run after which Max Moser pounded out an RBI-ground out.

The Foresters carried that momentum into the seventh and with the help of an error, needed just three hits, all of which were run-scoring base pokes, and a sacrifice fly to touch home six times. Matt Wolff rocketed a double to left to plate the first run, Jarret Gray singled in two runs while Malott drove in his second run in as many at-bats with a single to center.

When all was said and done, HU had sifted through three pitchers, upped the score to 10-5 and delivered the final dagger as SAU quietly conceded after that.

Adam Oxley hopped on the mound in the top of the sixth and stayed through the seventh to earn the win. He offered 1.2 innings of scoreless relief having given up two hits during his short stint on the bump.

Malott finished with two base pokes and three RBI to lead HU at the plate. Ginder, Gray and Kellen Kelsheimer also finished with a pair of hits.

In the nightcap, Huntington jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third and never looked back. Ginder highlighted the frame with his second two-run dinger of the series. He rounded the bases with Ian McCutcheon who had singled in a pair of runs just prior.

Spring Arbor got one back in the fifth but HU made sure they didn’t get too comeback focused by scoring twice on a botched play by the shortstop in their half of the innings. Both teams scored twice more, HU in the sixth and SAU in the seventh to maintain the five-run difference.

Tyler Papenbrock was awarded the win. He tossed the first six frames and gave up just three hits, a run and two walks while striking out six.

Huntington takes on Spring Arbor for a twin bill again on Saturday. It’s a split series so the games will be played at SAU.