SOFTBALL

The Forester softball team (12-12, 4-6) made the short trip to Fort Wayne Thursday afternoon to face Saint Francis in a neighborly conference rivalry that saw the Cougars cruise to a 10-2 win in the opener after which HU outlasted their hosts 7-6 in the nightcap at Westendorf Field.

USF unleashed for seven runs in the fifth of game one to turn a one-run ballgame of 3-2into a blowout. The eight-run difference brought an abrupt ending to the contest courtesy of the mercy rule. Huntington’s only offense was in the top of the fifth. After Courtney Mason led off with a double, Jo Walker doubled her and then came around to score on Kasey Hickle’s single up the middle.

Kinzie Mollenkopf tossed the first four frames, giving up eight hits, six runs and three walks while striking out three, to be charged with the loss.

The guests got things figured out at the plate by the second game. Ehler’s crew hammered out 14 hits to USF’s eight with both teams doing their heaviest lifting in the sixth. Up to that point, the score favored Saint Francis 3-2 with HU’s runs coming by way of RBI-singles by Walker in the third and Jocelyn Winebrenner in the fourth.

With bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Mason found a hole in left field for a run-scoring single. Jess Duvall followed that up with a two-run one-bagger after which Bree Hines put two more runs on the board with a double into left center. It made for a five hit, five run frame for Huntington that gave them a 7-3 lead.

The Cougars answered with a three-run rally in the home half of the sixth to pull within a run but that’s all she wrote as both teams came up empty in the seventh to send HU home on a high note.

Duvall and Hines each finished with two hits and two RBI. As DP, Mollenkopf collected three hits on the day. Winebrenner ended up with a pair of base smacks and an RBI.

Starting pitcher Maddie Turner earned the win for HU. She threw five frames and gave up seven hits, six runs and four walks while striking out two.

The Foresters hit the road to Mishawaka on Saturday to face Bethel at 1:00 p.m.