BASEBALL

The Huntington baseball team opened (10-7, 6-2) its series at Bethel (8-12, 4-4) by splitting with the Pilots, 3-2, 1-4, Saturday afternoon at Jenkins Stadium. HU’s loss in the nightcap snaps a four-game win streak.

In the opener, Alex McCutcheon picked up his second win within a five-day span to move to a perfect 5-0 on the year. The junior southpaw held Spring Arbor scoreless for 5.2 innings on Tuesday on his way to claiming the 8-0 W over the Cougars before tossing the complete-game victory today.

McCutcheon scattered five hits, two runs, only one of which was earned, and three walks while striking out ten in eight innings of work.

The first five frames saw HU place just one baserunner in scoring position while the Pilots found home twice for the 2-0 lead. Frame’s crew finally got their bats going in the sixth to recover the runs they’d give up. Collin Landrum led off with a walk, swiped two bags and then cruised home on Daniel Lichty’s RBI-base poke. After making his way to the opposite corner on a wild throw, Lichty also touched home by way of Austin Pritchard’s single into right.

Both teams stranded runners in the seventh to extend the game an extra inning where Lichty and Pritchard both drew walks to start things off followed by Andrew Natividad’s bunt for a base hit to load the bases with no outs. Ian McCutcheon worked over Bethel pitcher Krischtin Beebe for a free pass to walk in what proved the game-winner as older brother Alex McCutcheon retired the Pilot side to call it quits.

Hits were at a premium as each squad finished with just five. Huntington worked seven base on balls to BC’s three.

DJ Moore handcuffed Bethel, allowing just one hit, through the first five innings of the nightcap before things went sour for Moore and his team. It was a perfect storm of sorts as the Pilots pieced together four hits and a walk while taking advantage of a dropped third strike and wild throw to find home four times to turn their one-run deficit into a 4-1 advantage that would last.

Huntington’s lone run came in the first and had a similar unconventional feel as one of their runs in the opener as Landrum drew a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a sac bunt and then scored on a wild pitch.

The Foresters finished with seven hits behind a pair from Jacob Hansen. Frame’s crew left ten runners on as offensive production proved scarce all day for the visitors.

Moore took the loss giving up four runs, two earned, and a walk while striking out five in six innings on the bump.

The series wraps up on Monday with a single nine at 3:00 p.m.