SOFTBALL

A tale of two games ended in a split for the Foresters as they blanked Mount Vernon 3-0 in the opener before falling 6-4 in a back-and-forth nightcap at Forester Field Thursday afternoon. With the split, Huntington moves to 13-7 overall and 5-3 in Crossroads League play. The

Game 1 – Huntington 3, Mount Vernon 0
Huntington wasted no time doing its damage, striking for all three runs in the first inning behind a two-out rally that proved to be the difference.

Jess Duvall ignited the offense with a single to right center and came around to score when twin sister Maddie Duvall laced a double to the same gap. Khloee Gregory kept the inning alive before Maddie Goheen delivered the big swing, ripping a two-RBI double to clear the bases and give HU a 3-0 lead.

That was more than enough for junior Kinzie Mollenkopf, who was in complete control in the circle. The right-hander spun a six-hit shutout, striking out six and walking two over 7.0 innings while facing 28 batters.

The Foresters backed her with clean, error-free defense and a balanced attack that produced seven hits. Jess Duvall and Goheen each went 2-for-3 at the plate, with Goheen driving in a pair. Maddie Duvall and Kailee Bishop both added doubles as HU wrapped up the win in just 75 minutes.

Game 2 – Mount Vernon 6, Huntington 4
Game two told a different story. The Cougars plated a run in their first at-bat, setting the tone for a back-and-forth battle.

Huntington answered with a steady offensive push, scoring in three consecutive innings to take a 3-1 lead. Makinzie Kline sparked the effort with a 3-for-4 performance that included an RBI knock to center. Khloee Gregory added an RBI groundout and Kalyn Greene delivered a run-scoring single to cap the stretch.

Mount Vernon responded in the fifth, stringing together three hits and taking advantage of free passes to plate three runs and reclaim a 4-3 lead. The Foresters threatened to answer but left the tying runner stranded in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Cougars added insurance in the seventh with a two-run blast, stretching the margin to three.

Huntington refused to go quietly.

With two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh, Carli Tharp came through with a clutch single up the middle to cut the deficit to 6-4. Tharp finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in the game. The rally, however, was halted as Cougar reliever Dakota Staffan—who also homered earlier—made a defensive play to record the final out and secure the split.

Natalie Haselby took the loss for HU after allowing four runs over 4.0 innings, while Bethany Haselby tossed the final three frames.

Foresters hit the road for Upland tomorrow for a 3:00 p.m. matchup with Taylor.