BASEBALL

The 6th-seeded HU baseball team saw their season come to a close Saturday afternoon after a narrow 6-5 loss to 2nd-seeded Saint Francis in an elimination game at the Crossroads League Tournament, hosted by IWU at Crandall Family Field.

The Cougars came out swinging, putting up all six of their runs in the first two innings. Despite being held scoreless the rest of the way, their early offensive surge proved just enough to stave off a determined Huntington comeback.

The Foresters got on the board in the first inning with a Zach Pelletier sacrifice fly but didn’t score again until the fourth, when a USF error allowed another run to cross. Trailing 6-2 in the fifth, freshman slugger Deklan Thompson ignited the Foresters’ offense with a towering three-run homer to left — his second home run in as many days — bringing HU within one.

From that point on, the Foresters kept the pressure on, threatening in every inning but ultimately leaving the tying run stranded each time. Despite the momentum swing, the comeback fell just short.

Mason Meyer was charged with the loss after starting the game and allowing five runs, four earned, in 1.1 innings, surrendering just one hit but walking four and striking out four. Keegan Shovlain and RJ Anglin combined for 6.2 scoreless innings of relief, giving HU a chance to claw back.

Offensively, the Foresters tallied four hits from four different players. With the loss, Coach Thad Frame’s squad concludes the 2024 campaign with a 26-26 record, while Saint Francis advances to face Taylor later Saturday night.