BASEBALL

The HU baseball team ended their series with #RV Indiana Wesleyan on a high note by blanking their hosts 10-0 in Saturday’s nightcap at Wildcat Baseball Field. The first game was a thriller with the Wildcats hanging on for a 13-12 win. The overall series favored IWU 3-1.

The opener featured a combined 32 hits which included 12 for extra bases. The hosts ended up outhitting HU 17-15, but Frame’s crew won the homerun derby 4-2. The nine-inning affair saw four lead changes and a tie in addition to each team committing two blunders to make for a handful of unearned runs.

Huntington’s first five batters each recorded multiple hits, accounting for a combined 13 hits and ten RBI. Lead-off Bryce Deckman sailed one long in the game’s first at bat to kick off the scoring bonanza. He had piled up two more hits by game’s end. Cam Clarkson had himself a day by cranking one out of the park for a two-run homer in the third and then driving in a third run with a single in the sixth.

Gregory Nolasco Berroa went yard in the seventh after tripling in a run four innings prior. Clean-up Jordan Malott lived up to his place in the line-up by posting three hits which included a three-run bomb in the ninth that pulled his team within one to keep things interesting until the bitter end. The sophomore first baseman also knocked in a run with a single into left center early in the game for his first of four RBI.

Matt Wolff, in the three-hole, collected a pair of base pokes while HU’s other two hits came at the bat of Beyonce Paco Paulina.

After Noah Arbuckle spent the first 6.2 innings on the mound having given up 13 hits, ten runs, eight of which were earned, and three walks while striking out two, Matt Gilkey took over the bump to be charged with the loss. The Alderson Broaddus transfer surrendered the final four hits and three runs in 1.1 innings of work.

Huntington’s hot bats continued in the nightcap while rookie RJ Anglin brought IWU’s offense to a screeching halt. The LaPorte High School product went the distance to pick up the complete-game shutout. He scattered three hits and three walks while striking out seven of the 27 batters he faced. His first four frames were perfect as it was three up, three down. During his watch, only three baserunners found themselves in scoring position.

His teammates kept their foot on the accelerator at the plate to ensure the win. Clarkson unleashed for back-to-back homeruns which included a solo shot in the second and a three-run round-tripper in the third bringing his homerun count to three on the day.

Other run-scoring hits for the Foresters included Deckman’s RBI-double, Malott’s RBI-single, Wolff’s RBI-single and Paulina’s sacrifice fly.

HU (26-18) is currently sitting fourth in the league  standings with a CL record of 20-12. Huntington wraps up the regular season next weekend with a four-game homestand with Marian.