BASEBALL

Wanting nothing more than to celebrate a conference championship on their home turf, the 2nd-seeded Huntington baseball team instead suffered a 6-5 loss to 3rd-seeded Indiana Wesleyan in the title game of the Crossroads League Tournament Tuesday night at Forest Glen.

It took the Wildcats ten innings to get the job with their win securing the league’s second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament.

The night was intense and emotional just as a championship game should be with plenty of action to keep fans on the edge of their seats. IWU’s lead-off Lucas Goodin kicked off the game with a solo blast for a quick 1-0 lead. The Wildcats touched home once more in the first for a 2-0 advantage that was cut in half in the bottom of the frame thanks to a Matt Wolff RBI-single.

Another Wolf run-scoring base knock in the third tied things up at 2-2 but the visitors pieced together a few walks, hit and wild pitch to the tune of two runs in the fourth to up their lead back two. Max Moser walked in a run in the seventh to get his team within one but again the Wildcats responded with their second homer of the game for another two-run difference.

It was obvious neither team was going down without a fight. Satchell Wilson led off the bottom of the eighth by drawing a base on balls. Ian McCutcheon found a gap in right field for a single which triggered a pitching change for the Wildcats.

IWU called up their closer Hunter Hoffman who struck out the first two batters he faced before Jarret Gray came up with a clutch two-run single up the middle to force a 5-5 stalemate heading into the final inning of regulation.

After Joey Butz retired the side in order, the Foresters found themselves right where they wanted to be in the bottom of the ninth. With one out and the winning run on second, the HU dugout was devasted when pinch runner Kallen Kelsheimer was called out for leaving base early tagging up on a fly ball.

It sent the game to extra innings where Evan Salmon delivered a two-out double in the tenth to drive in a run that broke up the tie. While it proved the game-winning run, the game was far from over at that point.

Down to their last out, the Foresters kept things interesting. Wolff doubled his way on base, Gray was intentionally walked and Sebastian Kuhns drew a walk to load up the bases. Jordan Malott went deep into the count before torching a ball up the middle that Hoffman managed to knock down and make the play at first to evade what would have likely been a walk-off single.

Butz took the loss for HU. He tossed the final three frames and gave up three hits, one run and two walks while striking out six.

Wolff finished with three hits and two RBI to lead the Foresters at the plate.

To get to the title game, HU had to first take care of business against 4th-seeded Saint Francis. They did so by way of an 8-5 decision this afternoon.

The Foresters batted around in the opening frame against USF to jump  out to a 4-0 advantage. It was a lead never really challenged as HU enjoyed at least a four-run difference until the top of the ninth when the Cougars logged their third of three dingers to close the gap to three for the 8-5 final.

Noah Arbuckle, having collected HU’s first win in the tourney, picked up the win by tossing the first 5.1 frames by giving up six hits, four runs and four walks while striking out six. Grant Simmons then finished things up to notch the save. In 3.2 innings, the 6-4 sophomore gave up a run on four hits and three walks while fanning one.

HU finished with 14 hits to USF’s ten. The heart of the order did most of the damage. McCutcheon, in the two hole, posted two hits and three RBI. He doubled in his team’s first run and singled in their last run with a sac fly in between.

Kuhns finished with a single and a double with both RBI-hits. Gray drove in a run with a single in the first and then walked in another in the third. Malott rounded out Huntington’s RBI-hits with a single into a gap in center field as part of the four-run first.

Wilson, Langston Ginder and Wolff each hammered out a pair of hits to round out the Foresters’ active day at the plate.

The Foresters are 38-16 on the year. Frame and crew will find out Thursday if they receive an at-large bid to the national tournament.