SOFTBALL

Playing their last doubleheader of the regular season, things didn’t go as hoped for the Huntington softball team as they dropped a pair of losses, 4-1, 5-0, to 2nd-ranked Marian University.

It was HU’s Senior Day and seemed only fitting that their only run of the day was scored by lone senior Audra Klopfenstein. After singling to get things started for her team in the bottom of the first of game one, she stole second and came around to score on Paige Eichelberger’s RBI-single into left-center.

The run was just the 16th earned run Marian’s ace and this week’s NAIA National Pitcher of the Week Breena Smith has given up this year. On the day, Smith scattered five hits with two coming from the bat of Klopfenstein.

Just like the hosts, the Knights scored in their opening at bat for a 1-1 deadlock after one. They would go on to take a 3-1 lead after five and then added an insurance run in the sixth to close the deal.

Lairen Miller was tagged with the loss by giving up 11 hits, four runs and a walk.

The nightcap was not indicative of the final score. After giving up an unearned run in the first, freshman Meghan Fretz surrendered just one hit over the next five frames to hold her visitors in check for a 1-0 ball game until the seventh.

On the other side of the ball, the Foresters had chances but just couldn’t pull the trigger. HU stranded nine, four of which were in scoring position, and outhit their visitors 6-5. Eichelberger finished with two hits for Gower’s crew.

It was a seventh inning debacle as the Knights pounded out four hits and took advantage of two HU errors to plate four runs and blow the game wide open to which the hosts had no answer.

Fretz took the loss by surrendering five hits, five runs, three earned, and two walks while striking out three.

Huntington wraps up the regular season with an overall record of 21-23 and conference record of 16-18. HU awaits their seeding in the league tournament slated for May 2-4.