SOFTBALL

In a neighborly conference brawl with Saint Francis, the Huntington softball team dropped a 3-2 decision in the opener before a late surge in the nightcap ended in favor of the guests 5-2 for the CL split.

After spotting the Cougars a 3-0 lead, HU finally got on the board in game one when Khloee Gregory jacked one out of the park for a two-run dinger in the fifth. The freshman shortstop has a team-leading three homeruns this season.

Unfortunately Gregory’s dinger was Huntington’s only offense to make for the 3-2 final. The Foresters managed just four hits to USF’s nine.

Karlee Franklin tossed the first three innings to be charged with the loss having given up all three runs and seven hits while striking out one. Maddie Turner then offered three innings of scoreless relief where she gave up just two hits and three walks while fanning two batters.

The first three frames of the nightcap belonged to Saint Francis 2-1 with Jo Walker, after doubling to left field, scampering home on the hosts’ only error of the day.

Offense had been hard to come by for Rethlake and crew up until the sixth when they took advantage of a walk and hit batter to set the stage for some timely hitting. After Maddie Goheen bunted the runners to second and third, Carli Tharp singled in HU’s first run of the frame.

Gena Moore delivered a two-run single after which Maddie Duvall ripped a double into deep center to make for three straight RBI-base pokes. It gave the visitors a 5-2 lead and Natalie Haselby made sure it stuck.

After giving up three hits through the first three innings, the rookie southpaw allowed just one more hit the rest of the afternoon to shutdown USF’s bats and earn the win. Haselby’s final numbers were impressive. She surrendered four hits, two runs and a walk while striking out two.

Huntington’s top of the order had a good day at the plate. Moore, HU’s leadoff hitter, finished with three hits and two RBI. At the two-hole, Duvall also hammered out three hits to go along with an RBI. Breanna Hines, in the three-hole, added two base pokes as the trio accounted for eight of the Foresters’ ten hits.

HU (15-20, 10-14) heads back to campus on Monday to host Bethel at 3:00 p.m.