SOFTBALL

The HU softball team showed resilience and firepower Wednesday afternoon at Warrior Park, earning a split against #RV Indiana Tech. The Foresters dropped a 9-7 decision in the opener before erupting for a 7-4 win in game two to close the day on a high note.

Game 1 – Indiana Tech 9, Huntington 7
HU struck first in the opener on a sac fly by Jess Duvall, but the Warriors wasted little time taking over the lead at 2-1 in their first at bat, forcing the Foresters to chase the rest of the contest.

A three-run homer in the third pushed Tech’s lead to 5-1. HU responded — as expected from Coach Averill’s gritty crew — in the fifth. Kalyn Greene delivered an RBI single and Kasey Hickle followed with a run-scoring double before Duvall added her second sac fly of the game to trim the deficit to 5-4.

The Warriors countered with a two-run triple and a solo homer to stretch the lead to 9-5. Huntington made one final push in the seventh as Maddie Duvall and pinch hitter Kailee Bishop produced back-to-back two-out RBI singles, but the rally stalled with the tying run on base.

The Foresters totaled nine hits in the opener, led by Hickle’s 3-for-4 effort — all doubles. Jess Duvall finished with two RBI, while Greene, Bishop and Maddie Duvall each drove in a run.

Kinzie Mollenkopf suffered her first loss of the year, tossing five innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits with two walks.

Game 2 – Huntington 7, Indiana Tech 4
After regrouping between games, Huntington delivered its loudest inning of the young season.

Behind five scoreless innings from junior southpaw Natalie Haselby, the Foresters unleashed a seven-run sixth, cashing in five of their eight hits on the day while capitalizing on a defensive miscue to seize control.

Maddie Duvall started the rally with an RBI single to score Jess Duvall, who had doubled. Bishop, Greene and Makinzie Kline each drove in a run before Hickle delivered the exclamation point — a bases-clearing triple to left center to make it 7-0.

Indiana Tech mounted a four-run response in the bottom half, but Haselby stood tall. The junior tossed a complete game (7.0 IP), scattering five hits while allowing four runs and striking out two to earn her first win of the season.

After the sixth-inning chaos, the final frame came and went quietly as both pitchers worked clean seventh innings to close it out.

Huntington finished game two with eight hits. Hickle drove in three, while Greene, Maddie Duvall, Bishop and Kline each tallied an RBI. Khloee Gregory added a pair of hits and swiped a base.

With the split, the Foresters move to 3-3 on the season and will host Defiance College for their home opener Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.