BASEBALL

The Huntington baseball team, receiving votes in today’s national poll, came up short, 9-6, in a single nine with IU Kokomo Wednesday afternoon at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.

Both teams were quiet through the opening three frames with HU breaking the silence in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and second, Satchell Wilson drove in the first run with a single up the middle after which Jarret Gray knocked in another with a shot to right. Two batters later, Alex McCutcheon’s sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 3-0.

The Cougars (9-9) worked a walk with bases loaded in their half of the fourth to push a run across home plate for a 3-1 difference. The hosts went on to outscore Frame’s crew 4-1 over the next three innings to take a 5-4 advantage into the eighth where the Foresters got back to work behind the bat of Ian McCutcheon. The junior centerfielder doubled in a pair of runs to put his team back on top at 6-5.

Unfortunately, the toggling of the lead continued with IUK manufacturing four runs in their half of the frame to reclaim the lead at 9-6. It was a lead that stood the test of time.

Daniel Lichty finished with two hits with his second base poke scoring Huntington’s fourth run in the fifth. Gray also finished with two hits and an RBI.

Six different Foresters spent time on the mound with Gabe Freeman taking the loss. The junior pitcher tossed the final frame to give up four runs, four hits and two walks while striking out one. As a pitching staff, HU gave up ten hits, nine runs and six walks while fanning five batters.

HU (12-4) heads to Mishawaka over the weekend for a four-game series with the Bethel Pilots.