SOFTBALL

The Forester softball team picked up their first win of the season on Tuesday in convincing fashion by topping Michigan-Dearborn 13-3 in five innings. Shortly after, HU snagged another win, a 5-2 decision, over Fort Lauderdale as part of the Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne, Fla.

Against the Wolverines, the Foresters found their groove offensively right away. Jess Duvall got things started with a two-run single in the first. Michigan-Dearborn tied things up in their half of the frame and then posted the go ahead run in the second.

It was all Huntington (2-4) after that. By the third, HU had reclaimed the lead at 4-3 and then blew the game wide open in the fourth. Gena Moore and Bree Hines each walked in a run and then came around to score on single by Courtney Mason. Duvall, who drove in a third run in the third, picked up her fourth RBI with a sac fly. On that same play Mason scampered home on an error for run No. 6 of the inning.

It made for a 10-3 ball game. Huntington upped their advantage to ten in the fifth to call it quits early thanks to the mercy rule.

Duvall finished with two hits and four RBI to pace HU offensively. Kasey Hickle also pounded out two base pokes with the pair accounting for half of their team’s hits.

Karlee Franklin earned the win in the circle. She tossed the first three frames and gave up five hits, three runs, only one of which was earned, and two walks while striking out four. Natalie Haselby finished things off by pitching two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and a walk while fanning two.

Haselby picked up where she left off in Huntington’s second game of the day against the Eagles. The sophomore southpaw went the distance to give up nine hits, two runs and a walk while striking out one for the complete-game win.

Fort Lauderdale scored a run in each of the first two innings to jump in front 2-0 but HU had an offensive heyday in the fourth to find home five times. With bases loaded and no outs, a sac fly by Carli Tharp got the Foresters on the board. One out and a hit batter later, the bases were loaded again and this time Maddie Duvall singled in two runs and then Moore followed suit shortly after to wrap up the day’s scoring.

Hickle and Jess Duvall each pounded out a pair of hits to account for four of their team’s eight hits.

Ehler and crew wrap up their time in Florida tomorrow with a game against Oakland City followed by a matchup with Keiser in the afternoon.