SOFTBALL

After blowing by the Cougars in game one, 7-0, the Huntington softball team came up short, 3-2, in the nightcap to split Monday’s home doubleheader with Saint Francis (16-17, 7-11). With this split, the Foresters move to 10-18 overall, 6-12 in league play.

Freshman MacKyndsea Burke pitched a gem in the opener by giving up just seven hits while striking out three for the complete-game shutout. As if blanking USF for her first collegiate W wasn’t impressive enough, the rookie hurler also never gave up a walk in her seven innings of work.

Offensively, the Foresters more than got the job done. Gower’s crew scored twice early in the contest on Karley Blankenship’s RBI-single in the second and Jada Crofoot’s sac fly in the third but it was the fifth that blew the game wide open.

Denaia Rice started things off by working a base on balls after which Paige Eichelberger and Crofoot pounded out infield singles to load the bases. Kennedy Krull drove in the frame’s first run with a sacrifice fly and then Kiera Stacy and Joelle Beals each smacked a run-scoring double. Sophia Beachy posted the inning’s second sac fly for the 6-0 advantage.

Crofoot put the exclamation point on the day with a blast to the warning track in the sixth for an RBI-double to wrap up the afternoon’s scoring. The sophomore heavy hitter finished with two hits and two RBI. Beals added a pair of base pokes and an RBI while Rice and Eichelberger each collected a pair of hits as well.

While HU outhit their visitors 10-6 in the nightcap, they struggled to translate that to points on the board. The Foresters stranded 11 baserunners which included leaving two aboard in five of the seven innings. The Cougars, on the other hand, made the most of their opportunities by plating two runs on a passed ball in their first at bat and then took advantage of a throwing error in the fifth to find home for their third run.

Huntington’s two runs came in the fifth. Rice started things off by drilling one through the hole at short. Karley Blankenship bunted for a base hit after which both stole a base to set the stage for Beachy’s sacrifice fly and Eichelberger’s RBI-double to the left-center fence.

It swung momentum host-side as they pulled within a run at 3-2. The Foresters threatened in each of their final two at-bats but unfortunately couldn’t push any runs across the plate to squelch what would have been a striking comeback.

Meghan Fretz took the loss for HU. She went the distance to give up six hits and three runs, none of which were earned, while striking out five. Like Burke, the sophomore ace never issued a base on balls.

Tomorrow afternoon Gower’s crew will look to avenge two losses to Goshen just a few days back. Opening pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Huntington.