SOFTBALL

The Huntington softball team relied on solid pitching to pick up a pair of road wins, 5-1, 2-0, against Grace. The Foresters also won both home games against the Lancers a week ago to make for the 4-0 regular season sweep.

Freshman Emma Payton pitched a dandy in the opener to lead her team to victory. She scattered five hits while giving up one run and fanning two batters. She needed just 77 pitches for her complete-game win.

As it turned out, both teams finished with five base pokes with HU making the most of their opportunities to run away with the win in the seventh. The visitors scored in their opening at bat thanks to Nigella Reck’s RBI-single. The 1-0 difference held until Grace found home in the sixth for a 1-1 stalemate.

Huntington’s response was swift. After a pair of walks and sac bunt to kick off the seventh, Bree Hines smacked one into left for a run-scoring base hit which proved the game winner. Carli Tharp and Jess Duvall each picked up an RBI on a ground out after which Reck pounded out her second RBI-single of the game for the final push to make for the 5-1 ending.

Another rookie in Kinzie Mollenkopf was in lockdown mode on the mound in the nightcap. The freshman hurler tossed a two-hit complete-game shutout. It was three up, three down in four of the seven innings she worked. Only two Grace baserunners advanced beyond first base. She issued just one walk while striking out four.

Offensively, HU struck for eight hits with their first run coming on Courtney Mason’s RBI-ground out in the first that allowed Gena Moore, who was hit by a pitch a few batters prior, to race home. It wasn’t until the sixth that Huntington plated their second run. Khloee Gregory led off the frame with a single and then made her way home via a Carli Tharp double to center.

With these two wins, Ehler’s crew improves to 20-24 overall which includes a 12-18 CL record. They’re back on the road tomorrow to face Taylor at 1:00 p.m.