SOFTBALL

Playing one of the nation’s best, the HU softball team kept it close with #12 Marian in the opener before the Knights pulled away from their hosts in the nightcap. Game one saw HU’s late game-rally come up short in a 8-6 contest that favored MU while the next contest featured a nine-run inning by the guests that eventually made for a 12-1 final after five.

After spotting Marian three runs by the top of the third, the Foresters came to life in their half of the frame to keep things interesting in the opener. Courtney Mason led off with a double to the warning track before Paige Eichelberger knocked her in by roping a single to right. Jada Crofoot found a gap in center to set the stage for Sophia Beachy’s two-run single that knotted things up at 3-3.

The Knights scored in each of the next three frames to build a comfortable lead of 8-3 but the Foresters were still in fight mode. With two on, Darby Minor’s single in the bottom of the sixth drove in a run. On the same play, Kaela Robey also scampered home on a throwing error to cut the lead to three.

Beachy kept her team’s hopes alive in the seventh when she logged her third RBI of the day with a shot up the middle to make for a two-run difference. Unfortunately, it was as close as Gower’s crew would get as they left two runners stranded to be denied the upset.

The Foresters finished with ten hits behind Beachy’s three hits and three RBI. Eichelberger added two hits and an RBI.

Meghan Fretz spent the whole time in the circle to be charged with the loss. She gave up 14 hits, eight runs and two walks while striking out three.

Mallory West’s single in the second drove in her team’s only run in the nightcap. While Huntington’s offense was stagnant, that wasn’t the case for the Knights who scored three times in the top of the second and then erupted for nine runs in the fourth. It proved more than enough to cut the game two innings short by way of the mercy rule.

Four different Foresters spent time on the mound with Adelyn Harsh tossing the first 1.1 innings to be tagged with the loss. The rookie hurler gave up four hits, three runs and two walks while striking out two.

HU (25-25, 14-18) travels to Mount Vernon tomorrow for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with the Cougars.