BASEBALL

The Huntington baseball team headed south this weekend for a four-game series with Olivet Nazarene, opening up play Friday afternoon at Pelham High School in Alabama. After dropping the first game, 8-5, to the Tigers, Huntington avenges loss with an 8-7 nine-inning thriller in the nightcap.

The Foresters struck first in the opener when Beyonce Paco Paulina drove in Kaden Flores with an RBI-groundout in the third. Unfortunately, HU’s 1-0 lead was short-lived. After starting pitcher Tyler Papenbrock had worked nine straight outs, the Tigers woke up at the plate in the top of the fourth to erupt for five runs.

HU got one back in the bottom of the frame on Ryne Wheeler’s line drive double that allowed Dylan Rost, who had been hit by a pitch, to make the trek home. Both teams continued their hot bats in the fifth with ONU tacking on two more runs before Huntington touched home three times, two of which came on back-to-back hit batters with bases loaded.

The Tigers would go on to add another insurance run in the seventh before calling it quits. ONU finished with eight hits to HU’s four. Papenbrock was charged with the loss having given up five hits, seven runs, five of which were earned, and three walks while striking out four in 4.2 innings of work.

It took two extra innings for Frame’s crew to even the series up in the nightcap. Grace College transfer Mason Meyer tossed the final 2.1 innings, striking out four along the way while giving up three hits and a run, to earn the win. Starting pitcher Graham Kollen notched 11 strikeouts during his six frames on the mound, giving up four hits, two runs and a walk, for the no decision while Kyler Decker worked two outs before Meyer took over the mound.

The Foresters racked up five runs through the first two innings for a commanding start. Bryce Deckman tagged up on Beldon Glasgow’s sacrifice fly in the first. HU added to their early lead in the bottom of the second after Rost doubled to left, Deklan Thompson tripled to right, Kade Flores laid down a sac bunt and Deckman knocked one into left with each scoring a run.

Both teams scored a pair of runs over the middle innings before HU slowly watched their lead slip away in the seventh. The Tigers, with help from their hosts by way of two errors, a walk and hit batter, went off for five runs on two hits to force extra innings.

Glasgow drew a walk to kick-off Huntington’s game-winning rally in the ninth with Imel’s line drive walk-off single to right eventually driving in pinch runner Parker Richards.

Hits were plentiful with nine different Foresters (2-5) picking up a base smack while their visitors finished with seven. The Foresters ran wild on the base paths to collect six stolen bases with Deckman and Paulina each posting two.

The two squads are back in action tomorrow for another doubleheader with opening pitch changed from noon to 2:00 p.m.