BASEBALL

A tale of two days for the #16 Foresters – and a loud response when it mattered most. After a frustrating Game one 9-7 setback, Huntington flipped the script in emphatic fashion, blasting Saint Francis 15-0 in the nightcap behind explosive bats and lockdown pitching.

Game 1 – Saint Francis 9, Huntington 7
It was one inning that did all the damage.

Through four frames, RJ Anglin was untouchable, striking out eight straight at one point, as both teams traded zeros. Then came the fifth. The Cougars erupted for nine runs on just four hits, aided by four walks, two errors and a hit batter in a disastrous stretch that flipped the game on its head. Despite the gut punch, HU didn’t fold.

The Foresters mounted a furious response in the sixth, sending 11 to the plate and scoring six runs to claw back into it. Owen Willard got things started with an RBI knock before Owen Imel and Kade Flores followed with run-scoring singles. Jace Fowler and Deklan Thompson added sac flies, and a wild pitch capped the rally to trim the deficit to 9-6.

HU continued to threaten late. Fowler delivered again in the ninth with an RBI double to center to make it a two-run game, but the Foresters ultimately stranded the tying run at the plate. A golden opportunity slipped away in the eighth when HU left the bases loaded.

By the numbers:

• HU outhit USF 9-8 and drew nine walks but left 13 runners stranded
• Fowler led with 2 RBI, while Willard (2 hits) and Keifer Wilson (2 hits) paced the offense
• Anglin struck out nine in 4.1 innings despite taking the loss

Game 2 – Huntington 15, Saint Francis 0
A chance to reset was just what Coach Thad Frame’s crew needed.

Huntington wasted no time turning frustration into fireworks, piling up 15 runs on 13 hits in a complete dismantling of the Cougars.

After building a 2-0 lead early, the Foresters broke it wide open in the fourth. Tanner Reinartz ripped a two-run double before Owen Imel launched a two-run homer. Moments later, Fowler went yard, well beyond the right field fence, to cap a five-run inning and a 7-0 cushion.

And they weren’t done.

HU kept pouring it on—manufacturing runs in the fifth and exploding again in the sixth with six more, taking advantage of errors, passed balls, and timely hitting. Flores and Willard delivered RBI singles to close the scoring while Wilson kicked off the frame with an RBI base knock of his own.

Offensive fireworks:

• Imel: 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI
• Fowler: 2-for-5, HR, 3B, RBI
• Flores: 2 hits, 2 RBI
• Clarkson: 2 hits, 4 runs scored
• Wilson: 2 doubles, RBI
• HU totaled 13 RBI on 13 hits

On the mound, the Foresters were just as dominant.

Max Engle set the tone with five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five. Aidan Micinski and Brady Schroeder slammed the door with hitless relief to secure the shutout.

The Bottom Line
After a tough opener, Huntington responded with authority – outscoring Saint Francis 22-9 across the doubleheader and showcasing the depth and firepower that’s made them one of the NAIA’s top teams.

With the split, HU moves to 23-6 overall, 13-5 in Crossroads League play.