SOFTBALL

The Huntington softball team was on the wrong end of two scores Tuesday afternoon, 3-1, 8-3, against the visiting Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan.

It was tied 1-1 after the first two innings of the opener after which IWU, currently ranked 6th nationally, struck for two more runs over the course of the contest to pick up win #1. Ashton Whitman knocked in the game’s first run for the Wildcats while Maddie Duvall’s double through the left side in the second was the equalizer.

Whitman was a one-person wrecking ball as she proceeded to drive in Wesleyan’s two other runs as well, one in the third and another in the seventh. All three base smacks were RBI-singles.

Karlee Franklin took the loss for HU. She tossed all seven frames during which she gave up nine hits, three runs and two walks while striking out three.

The nightcap had a similar start in that it began with a 1-1 stalemate before IWU pulled away. Game two proved a more cushiony win for the guests as they took a permanent 2-1 lead in the third but then piled on four runs in the fourth and added two more in the fifth before HU finally got back on the board in the sixth.

Breanna Hines’ sac fly in Huntington’s opening at-bat kicked off the hosts’ scoring. Five innings passed before HU got their bats going again. Hines was in on the action by drawing a walk and then eventually finding home on Jo Walker’s single up the middle. A few batters later, Gena Moore brought in Jessica Duvall, who had drawn a free pass right after Hines, with a screamer through the right side.

HU managed five hits in the game with Courtney Mason collecting a pair.

Maddie Turner was the losing pitcher for Huntington. She pitched the first 3.1 frames and gave up six hits, five runs and three walks while striking out one.

With these losses, the Foresters drop to 11-16 overall, 6-10 in league play. Next up for HU is a trip to Goshen on Thursday.