SOFTBALL

The Forester softball team nabbed two road wins Wednesday afternoon by sweeping Taylor, 9-0, 10-8, at Gudakunst Field.

It was a dominate performance by the guests in game one on both sides of the ball. Karlee Franklin took it to the Trojans. She fired a two-hit shutout while issuing just one walk and striking out four in a complete-game gem that ended two frames early.

Her teammates offered plenty of support at the plate to call it quits after five compliments of the mercy rule. The Foresters scored in every inning thanks to timely hitting and a little help from TU’s defense that committed four errors.

Breanna Hines, Huntington’s DP, doubled her first time up to bat and came around to score on Taylor’s first blunder. HU put up two runs in the second, the first on another error after which Gena Moore drove in a run on a ground-out.

Carli Tharp headlined the third by tripling in two runs and then slipping home on a passed ball. It was a 6-0 advantage at that point.

Maddie Duvall added to the lead with an RBI-double to left in the fourth. The guests put the finishing touches on the skunk in the fifth by taking advantage of the Trojans’ final error after which Khloee Gregory padded the lead with a sacrifice fly.

In a must score situation, Taylor kicked off the home half of the fifth with a single but HU quickly snuffed out any hope the hosts were clinging to by turning the double play after which Franklin struck out the final batter to call it quits.

Huntington finished with eight hits, three for extra bases, behind Hines and Maddie Goheen who posted two base smacks apiece.

The first two frames of the nightcap came and went quietly before both teams got their bats going in the third. HU touched home three times with Moore getting things started with an RBI-single. Two walks later with bases loaded, Gregory laced a shot to left for a two-run single. Taylor didn’t let their guests out of sight as they plated two runs in their half of the frame for a 3-2 difference.

It was a trend that repeated itself again in the fourth. Jessica Duvall sent one long for a two-run dinger. It was her first collegiate homer and put Huntington up by three again. TU matched the two runs in the bottom of the frame to erase the lead back to one at 5-4.

For a third time, HU upped the lead back to three, this time on a two-run double by Hines in the top of the sixth. But the Foresters ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning. The Trojans got their bats going to the tune of four hits while taking advantage of an error to come around to score four times for an 8-7 lead. It was the first time all day Huntington wasn’t in the driver’s seat.

But Rethlake’s crew was quick to take back control. Jenessa Hasty came up with a huge lead-off double to set the tone. After an infield single by Maddie Duvall , Jo Walker ripped a shot up the middle for an RBI-single. A perfectly placed sac bunt set the stage for Carli Tharp’s rocket to left center for a double that cleared the bases for a 10-8 advantage.

Taylor didn’t go down without a fight. They landed two on the base paths but in the process were down to their last out. Natalie Haselby, who had replaced Ady Harsh in the sixth, ended the game just like Franklin did in the opener by taking down the last batter on strikes.

Haselby was awarded the win. She offered two innings of scoreless relief by giving up just one hit and a walk while boasting the game-ending strikeout.

As a team, HU posted 11 hits with Tharp collecting two hits and two RBI while Moore and Walker each added two base pokes and an RBI.

With the sweep, the Foresters improve to 10-11 overall, 5-5 in CL action. HU’s busy week continues tomorrow at #17 Marian with opening pitch at 3:00 p.m.