SOFTBALL

The sunshine suited the Foresters. Huntington opened its week at the Space Coast Games with a pair of impressive wins Monday, rallying past Judson 7-3 before defeating Carolina (N.C.) 5-1 to begin spring break 2-0.

With the sweep, HU improves to 5-3 overall.

Game One – Huntington 7, Judson 3
After spotting Judson a 3-0 lead through three innings, the Foresters turned things around in emphatic fashion.

Limited to just one hit early, Huntington erupted for six hits in the fourth inning alone to erase the deficit. Maddie Goheen got HU on the board with an RBI single. Gaby Hypes followed with a run-scoring knock of her own, and Makinzie Kline delivered the tying RBI single to cap the rally.

The Foresters weren’t done.

In the sixth, HU capitalized on five Judson errors and strung together four more hits to plate four insurance runs. Hypes reached on an error that brought home a run before Kline roped a two-run double. Carli Tharp added an RBI single to stretch the lead to 7-3.

Huntington finished with 11 hits in the opener. Hypes (2-for-4, two RBI, two runs), Kline (2-for-3, double, three RBI), Khloee Gregory (2-for-4, two runs) and Jess Duvall (2-for-3, double, run scored) paced the offense. The Foresters also put pressure on the bases with three stolen bags.

Natalie Haselby went the distance in the circle, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out six and walking just one. After the third inning, the senior southpaw locked in, giving up just two hits in the final four frames to secure the win.

Game Two – Huntington 5, Carolina 1
Carolina struck first in the opening frame of game two, but Huntington wasted little time responding.

Jess Duvall ignited the bottom of the first with a double before twin sister Maddie Duvall tied the game with an RBI single. Kailee Bishop followed with an RBI double to give HU a 2-1 edge it would never relinquish.

The Foresters added insurance throughout the afternoon. Khloee Gregory knocked in a run in the third, Makinzie Kline scored on a passed ball in the fourth and Bishop picked up her second RBI of the day in the sixth.

Huntington tallied nine hits in the win, led by Jess Duvall’s 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored. Maddie Duvall went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, while Bishop finished with two RBI. Kalyn Greene added two hits as well.

In the circle, Kinzie Mollenkopf delivered a gem. After surrendering a run in the first inning, she shut down the Bruins the rest of the way, striking out seven while allowing just one walk and scattering seven hits across seven complete innings.

By the Numbers
Across the two games, Huntington totaled 20 hits while receiving two complete-game efforts in the circle. HU hitters recorded five doubles on the day and struck out just twice combined in 58 at-bats — an impressive display of plate discipline.

With momentum building, Coach Tim Averill and his squad return to action Wednesday against Mount Marty and Dordt as the Space Coast Games continue.