BASEBALL

What a difference a day makes. Less than 24 hours after a lopsided 12-3 win over #3 Indiana Wesleyan, the #2 Huntington baseball team was on the wrong end of a 5-1 decision against the Wildcats Saturday night of the Crossroads League Tournament.

HU and IWU are two of three teams that remain in the hunt for the 2023 conference tournament title. With each squad having a loss, it’s do or die on Monday at Forest Glen. The Foresters will square off against #4 Saint Francis at 3:00 p.m. with the winner taking on Wesleyan at 6:00 p.m.

Hits were hard to come by for the hosts on this given night as they managed just five with Langston Ginder’s RBI-ground out in the bottom of the eighth the only time HU found a way to touch home. The frame had all the makings of an offensive break, but the Foresters’ golden opportunity slipped away.

With bases juiced and just one out following Ginder’s ground out, IWU reliever Hunter Hoffman worked a pair of strikeouts to snuff out the heroic comeback that was brewing. Having picked up the save in the morning game against Spring Arbor, the 6-7 senior hurler closed out tonight’s game too to notch a second save on the day.

In addition to the three baserunners Huntington left stranded in the eighth, they left two more on base in the ninth. In total, ten Foresters were stranded over the course of the contest.

Jordan Malott drew a walk and cranked out two hits to lead his team at the plate.

Frame sent six different pitchers to the mound with starting pitcher Tyler Papenbrock getting socked with the loss. He tossed the first 3.2 innings and gave up five hits, two runs and four walks while striking out five.

With this loss, HU drops to 37-15 on the year.