SOFTBALL

The Forester softball team finally found some warm weather to play in over spring break in Arizona at the Tucson Invitational Games where they went 2-2 on their first two days in the Grand Canyon State.

HU opened up the week with a doubleheader against #21 Midland University (10-4), a team who came into the day with 12 games under their belt to Huntington’s two. The Warriors took game one, 4-0, and then escaped the nightcap with a 3-2 decision for the sweep.

HU ace Meghan Fretz surrendered just five hits through seven frames to give up all four runs, only two of which were earned, and a walk while striking out seven in the losing effort.

Jitters seemed to get the best of Gower’s crew in the first inning where they committed two of their three errors to open themselves up to a 2-0 deficit right off the bat. MU doubled that advantage in the fifth by cashing in on three hits. Nerves were evident at the plate as well for Huntington as Kiera Stacy was the only Forester to log a hit in the contest.

Errors got the best of HU in the nightcap as well – evidenced by all three of Midland’s runs being of the unearned variety. However, offensively the Foresters had a much better outing. Down 2-0 heading into the sixth, Huntington got things rolling.

After Joelle Beals and Paige Eichelberger posted back-to-back singles, Kennedy Krull’s sacrifice bunt advanced both runners to set the stage of Stacy’s two-run double to left for the 2-2 tie. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived stalemate as the Warriors wasted little time in the bottom of the seventh manufacturing a run to call it quits.

Mallory West took the loss for HU by giving up five hits, three runs and a walk while striking out two.

Day two went HU’s way as they started the afternoon with a 4-2 win over Hamline University before disposing of Edgewood College 11-5.

Against the Pipers (6-7), Huntington cranked out four hits in their first at bat to jump in front 2-0 on a Beals sacrifice fly and Sophia Beachy RBI-single. It was radio silence for both teams until the sixth when Hamline posted a pair of runs to knot things up at twos but Gower’s crew was quick to counter in the top of the seventh.

After Jada Crofoot reached base on an error, Karley Blankenship eventually singled in her pinch runner, Megan Prater, and then came around to touch home on Eichelberger’s RBI-base poke to build back a two-run reserve to which Hamline had no answer in their half of the frame.

Fretz picked up the complete-game win by giving up four hits, two runs and a walk while striking out three.

Eichelberger and Denaia Rice each collected three hits while Blankenship added two. The threesome represented the top of HU’s batting order and accounted for all but one of their team’s hits.

Huntington picked up where it left off against the Edgewood Eagles. They opened the first with three runs and never looked back. Gower’s squad scored in all but two frames, built a 5-2 advantage after three and then cruised to the win for their second straight as they improve to 2-4 on the season.

Blankenship led the charge for HU by going 3-for-4 at the plate which included a pair of run-scoring doubles. Anna Weigold added two hits and two RBI while Beals and Eichelberger each finished with a pair of hits and an RBI. Three of Huntington’s 13 hits were for extra bases and six different Foresters tallied at least one RBI.

West went the distance for the win by giving up 11 hits, five runs, four of which were earned, and two walks while striking out four.

Huntington has four more games in Arizona before heading back to the Midwest.