SOFTBALL

It was a good day of sticks for both squads Tuesday afternoon with Spring Arbor taking game one, 10-4, before the Huntington softball team ran away with the nightcap 12-5.

With this split, HU moves to 8-11 overall which includes a 3-5 CL record. It was just the Cougars’ fifth loss of the season as they claim a 17-5 overall record and an 8-4 league record.

SAU spent the fourth frame of the opener racking up six runs to turn a 1-1 stalemate into a 7-1 ball game. Both teams scored three runs after that to make for a rather uneventful finish with the guests cruising to the victory. The Foresters struck first in their home half of the first on Khloee Gregory’s single that drove in Gena Moore who got things started by drawing a walk.

HU’s other three runs came when Carli Tharp doubled in two teammates in the fourth. Breanna Hines then tagged up on Maddie Duvall’s sac fly in the fifth to round out the hosts’ scoring.

As a team, Huntington cranked out ten hits with Hines, Gregory, Audrey Barnes and Duvall each picking up a pair. Karlee Franklin was charged with the loss after spending the first 3.2 innings on the bump. She gave up eight hits, sevens runs and two walks while striking out five.

Rethlake’s crew returned the favor in the nightcap with a big inning that proved the cornerstone of their win. Down 5-1 heading into the bottom of  the fourth, HU went off for seven runs to go up by three. It was a two-out rally that saw twelve Foresters step up to the plate.

With two outs and bases loaded, Tharp cleaned house with a three-run double. Back-to-back RBI-singles by Moore and Courtney Mason kept things rolling. A SAU error resulted in another HU score after which Barnes roped a shot into left to drive in the final run of the frame. When all was said, HU used up eight of their 16 hits in the fourth to plate seven runs.

Tharp and Moore were at it again in the sixth. After Jo Walker posted a sac fly, Tharp followed suit and then Moore sent one down the right field line to drive in the Duvall twins. Tharp and Moore accounted for eight of their team’s 12 runs. Tharp finished with five RBI on two hits while Moore added three hits and three RBI.

Maddie Turner went the distance to earn the win in the circle. The sophomore southpaw struck out four SAU batters while giving up 16 hits, five runs and two walks.

Today was the first of four games this week for HU. Next up is a doubleheader at Taylor tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.