SOFTBALL

The Cougars of Mount Vernon got the best of the Huntington softball team twice in walk-off fashion, 9-7, 8-7, Friday afternoon in a hotly-contest conference matchup.

Huntington got on the board first in game one when Kylie Fisher singled to right to drive in Khloee Gregory who had opened up the second with a double to the same side of the field. The 1-0 difference didn’t last long with MVNU’s equalizer coming in the bottom of the frame.

While HU’s offense went dormant for a few frames, MNVU was busy putting four more runs on the board for a 5-1 ballgame after four. Maddie Goheen got the Foresters going again in the fifth with a knock into left for an RBI-double. Runs came easy for both teams after that with Mount Vernon scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth while Huntington found home three times in the sixth on a pair of RBI-hits by Kasey Hickle and Gena Moore followed by a Jo Walker sacrifice fly.

By the top of the seventh, the guests had tied it up at 7-7 thanks to Jess Duvall’s RBI-single into center and a passed ball that allowed Hickle to breeze home. Unfortunately, MVNU had the final say with Dakota Staffan, on a full count, delivering a two-run walk-off blast beyond the centerfield fence for the win.

Hickle finished a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and three runs scored. Jess Duvall and Moore each collected a pair of hits and an RBI while Gregory also finished with two base knocks. As a team, HU outhit their hosts 14-11.

Bethany Haselby tossed the final 2.1 frames to be charged with the loss, giving up three hits and two runs.

Game two was another walk-off scenario with a completely different flare. Down one heading into the seventh, the Cougars worked over the HU pitching staff, chasing Natalie Haselby off the mound with bases loaded and then enjoying an infield single off Kinzie Mollenkopf before coaxing a walk-off base on balls to clinch the victory.

Haselby was charged with the loss after tossing 3.1 innings of relief during which she gave up four hits, four runs and three walks while striking out two.

Huntington scored runs in four different frames with the third proving their most productive inning. It featured Moore’s RBI-walk and Gregory’s two-run single. Maddie Duvall drove in a pair of runs which included a sac fly in the second and an RBI-single in the fifth. The fifth also saw Carli Tharp log a sac fly with Jess Duvall rounding out HU’s scoring with a shot to right in the fourth for a run-scoring single.

With these losses, Huntington drops to 11-7 which includes an 0-4 league record. The Foresters will look to get back in the win column on Saturday when they host Bethel starting at noon.