SOFTBALL

The 3rd-seeded Huntington softball team was dealt a tough blow in their Crossroads League Tournament opener Wednesday afternoon, suffering a 12-2 loss to 8th-seeded Spring Arbor at Gudakunst Field on Taylor University’s campus.

Acting as the home team on the scoreboard, the Foresters stumbled early. A misplayed throw in the first inning led to two unearned runs for the Cougars, setting a tone that carried through the game. Errors continued to plague HU, with miscues in two of the next three innings contributing to their struggles.

Offensively, the Foresters drew five walks but were limited to just three hits. Their first run came in the fifth when Kasey Hickle earned a bases-loaded walk. In the sixth, HU left the bases full once again but couldn’t convert, and in the seventh, Jess Duvall drove in a run with a single through the left side—Huntington’s final score of the game.

Meanwhile, Spring Arbor unleashed one of their most complete performances of the season, racking up 16 hits, including two home runs, while capitalizing on four Huntington errors.

Maddie Turner took the loss for the Foresters, pitching the first three innings and into the fourth. She surrendered seven runs, six of them unearned, on 10 hits and a walk, striking out one.

The setback drops Huntington into the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament. They return to action Thursday at 10:00 a.m. against the loser of the Marian vs. Mount Vernon matchup.