SOFTBALL

In a pivotal showdown for third place in the Crossroads League standings, the Huntington softball team swept Saint Francis Tuesday afternoon, winning 7-3 and 7-5 at home. With just one week left in the regular season, the Foresters now sit alone in third place.

Game one saw a back-and-forth start before HU broke it open with a four-run fourth inning. The Foresters capitalized on timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and Cougar miscues. RBI-singles from Kasey Hickle and Gena Moore highlighted the inning, with Moore driving in two with her shot up the middle. Kylie Fisher scored on a passed ball during Moore’s at-bat, while Carli Tharp’s sac bunt just prior helped move runners into scoring position.

Huntington’s first run came in the opening frame when Maddie Duvall drove in twin sister Jess after a costly two-out error by USF. The Foresters added an insurance run in the fifth on Hickle’s RBI-groundout and another in the sixth after the Cougars committed their third error of the contest. Two solo homers in the seventh gave the visitors a late spark, but to no matter as the Foresters’ lead held firm.

Kinzie Mollenkopf collected the win, her 11th of the year, going the distance with seven strikeouts while allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks.

In game two, HU struck first and never trailed, but had to hold off multiple comeback attempts by the Cougars. Maddie Goheen set the tone with a two-run single in the first inning. Two unearned runs followed after a USF error, one on a fielder’s choice by Khloee Gregory and another via a bases-loaded walk drawn by Tharp.

A three-run homer by USF in the second cut the lead to 4-3, but HU answered in the third with a sac fly from Moore and a Maddie Duvall RBI-double to make it 6-3. After the Cougars pulled within one again at 6-5 in the fifth, Hickle wrapped up the day’s scoring by driving in a run in the bottom half of the inning with a groundout.

Natalie Haselby picked up the win after four innings of work, giving up three runs on five hits. Karlee Franklin came on in relief, striking out three over the final three innings to earn the save.

With the sweep, Huntington improves to 30-15-1 (19-12-1 CL), marking the program’s highest win total since the 2015-16 season. The Foresters are set to face Saint Francis again Thursday in Fort Wayne, with opening pitch at 2:00 p.m.