BASEBALL
FRIDAY
The Forester baseball team opened up its series against #RV Mount Vernon Friday afternoon with a 5-4 come-from-behind win at Forest Glen. With this W, HU improves to 15-9 overall, which includes a 9-4 record in league play, while the Cougars to drop to 23-11 on the year, 6-4 in CL action.
Frame’s crew is currently tied with Marian for the top spot in the Crossroads League regular season standings.
After a pair of ties through the first five frames, Mount Vernon scored in the sixth for their final lead of the contest before the Foresters mounted their comeback. Taking advantage of MVNU’s pitching change in the seventh, Satchell Wilson opened up HU’s half of the frame by sending one to the warning track for a double, advanced to third on a wild throw and then tied things up 3-3 on Ian McCutcheon’s RBI-groundout.
The game-winner came in the eighth on an Adrian Perez two-out line drive into left to score Andrew Natividad who started things off by roping a single into left-center. While Perez’s clutch run-scoring single gave HU its only lead of the afternoon, it was Donovan Clark’s base-running heroics that stole the show.
The senior centerfielder, hands down one of the most dangerous baserunners in the country, stole home in the fifth for Huntington’s second run. After drawing a base on balls, Clark advanced to second on a sac bunt, stole third and then started his trek home after the first pitch of Natividad’s at bat.
Clark entered the day ranked #3 in the NAIA in stolen bases per game (.826). His pair of swipes today brings his season total to 21. He has been caught stealing just once this year.
Both teams finished with nine hits. Collin Landrum and Wilson each posted a pair of base pokes while Daniel Lichty collected an RBI-double in the third to pace Huntington.
Mason Shinabery tossed the final two frames for HU, giving up just one hit, to pick up the victory. Jacob Roe, who came in on relief in the seventh, was charged with the loss for MVNU by surrendering five hits and the final two runs.
The two squads are back at it tomorrow for a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
SATURDAY
In a critical Crossroads League matchup, the Forester baseball team picked up a pair of wins, 7-2, 2-1, to complete the series sweep over #RV Mount Vernon Nazarene (23-13, 6-6) Saturday afternoon at Forest Glen. With these Ws, HU extends their win streak to five and stays atop the league standings with Marian.
The Cougars got rolling early in game one to jump in front 2-0 before the Foresters finally settled in at the plate. Ian McCutcheon, who doubled himself aboard in the bottom of the third, was the first Forester to touch home on a wild pitch to cut MVNU’s lead in half.
The fourth was HU’s most productive inning as Andrew Natividad doubled to deep left-center after which Daniel Lichty drew a walk to set the stage for another base poke, this time an RBI-two-bagger at the bat of Austin Pritchard, to knot things up at 2s.
Lichty tagged up on Adrian Perez’s sacrifice fly. Satchell Wilson blooped a shot into right-center to drive in Pritchard and then McCutcheon, after tallying his team’s third double of the frame, eventually scored his second run of the day on another MVNU error. When all was said and done, the scoreboard favored HU 5-2 after four.
The Foresters continued their scoring rampage in the fifth when Lichty sent one over the right field fence for a two-run homer to up the score to 7-2 that proved final. For Lichty, it was his second career dinger and his team’s seventh of the year.
Five of Huntington’s eight hits were for extra bases. Lichty and McCutcheon posted two hits apiece.
Alex McCutcheon continued his winning ways on the mound. The southpaw gave up five hits, two runs and three walks while striking out six in five innings of work to remain unblemished at 7-0 on the year after which reliever Joey Butz worked back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to close out the game.
Caleb Landrum was dominant on the bump in the nine-inning nightcap. The junior hurler went the distance to surrender seven hits, one run and a walk while striking out five for the complete-game win. The victory is his second of the year.
Just like the opener, Mount Vernon struck first in the third for the 1-0 advantage on Aaron Saal’s RBI-single but the hosts were quick to answer in their half of the frame. After McCutcheon led off with a double to left, Gustavo Bonilla drew a walk and then Collin Landrum ripped a shot into right to score McCutcheon. Courtesy runner Ryan Hale also came around to score on Jarret Gray’s sac fly as all three of the game’s runs were secluded to the third.
For as efficient as Landrum was, having thrown just 114 pitches in his nine innings of work, his teammates were just as efficient offensively. The Foresters tapped into just two of their four hits and a walk to manufacture their two runs.
With these wins, Huntington improves to 17-9 overall, 11-4 in league play. Next up for Frame’s crew is another home contest on Tuesday against Marian at 4:30 p.m.
