BASEBALL

The HU baseball team avenged their two losses on Thursday by outlasting Saint Francis twice, 10-6, 8-4, Saturday afternoon at Cougar Field. With these wins, the Foresters even up the regular season series against the Cougars at 2-2.

Homeruns were a dime a dozen through the first few frames of the opener with HU getting the most bang for their buck. Cam Clarkson was the first to go yard in the top of the first with his blast plating a pair of runs. USF’s dinger was of the solo variety in the second while Kade Flores’ mighty swing proved a rare grand slam in the third.

It was Flores’ first homer in Forester green and came on the heels of a Bryce Deckman two-run single and Dylan Rost’s RBI-walk for a productive third inning that saw the guests unleash for seven runs. The Cougars got two back in their half of the frame to make for a 9-3 difference.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet except for the sixth when Clarkson picked up a second run-scoring hit, this time an RBI-single, which was met by two USF runs in the bottom of the inning.

Tyler Papenbrock tossed a dandy, giving up four hits, four runs, three earned, and a walk while striking out seven, to earn the win for his five innings of work. Mason Meyer locked up the win, throwing 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. The graduate transfer scattered three hits and two walks while striking out one to notch the save.

The nightcap was riddled with one-sided errors much to the dismay of the hosts who committed four blunders that led to six unearned runs that ultimately cost them a chance at the win. Saint Francis struck first in their first at-bat but by the third, Huntington had skirted in front 5-1.

All five of HU’s third inning runs were unearned as two of their first four batters reached base by way of errors. Clarkson continued his tear at the plate with a three-run bomb in the third highlighting the contest. It was his second long ball of the day, the ninth of his HU career.

Rost reached base twice on errors with a teammate scoring each time. Deckman singled in a run to account for another HU run while Beyonce Paco Paulina drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Owen Imel also found a way to plate a run, his on a fielder’s choice in the third. When all was said and done, Huntington finished with just four hits to USF’s nine.

Grant Simmons tossed the first 5.1 innings to pick up the win. He struck out eight while giving up eight hits, four runs and two walks.

The Foresters’ record stands at 13-17 overall, 8-12 in CL action. HU hits the road on Friday to kick off their four-game series at Goshen.