BASEBALL

After a rough start to their series with #18 Taylor that saw them suffer a 14-2 loss, the HU baseball team bounced back by blanking the Trojans 3-0 in the nightcap Thursday night at Forest Glen Park.

Junior Graham Kollen took charge of game two by silencing TU’s offense. Last year’s CL Pitcher of the Year allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out seven for the complete-game shutout. It’s just the third time this season the Trojans have been held scoreless.

After going hitless through the first five frames, the Foresters came to life at the plate in the sixth. Zach Pelletier got things started with a double down the right field line. His pinch runner, Sam Kestranek, advanced to third on a wild pitch during Kade Flores’ at bat that eventually ended in a walk setting the stage for Bryce Deckman’s bunt down the first base line. Kestranek slid into home on the play for an HU lead of 1-0.

Matt Wolff added a few insurance runs by cranking a shot into right center for a two-run triple that upped the score to 3-0. As the saying goes, the rest was history as Graham was able to coax three of the four batters he faced in the top of the seventh into flyouts to close up shop for his team.

There wasn’t much for the hosts to celebrate in the opener as Taylor scored seven runs before HU finally got on the board in the third on Beyounce Paco Paullina’s RBI-groundout. Gregory Nolasco Berroa was the only other Forester to generate any offense for his team, an RBI-double in the fourth.

As it turned out, the Trojans unleashed for 20 hits and worked five walks to eventually separate themselves from HU by 12 in the eighth to put into effect the mercy rule.

Tyler Papenbrock took the loss for Huntington. He spent the first five innings on the bump, giving up ten hits, nine runs, seven of which were earned, and three walks while striking out six.

With this split, the Foresters move to 17-12 overall, 12-6 in league play. HU is back in action on Saturday for another doubleheader with the Trojans.