SOFTBALL

The Forester softball team (18-24, 10-18) couldn’t match Spring Arbor’s offensive firepower Monday afternoon to suffer a pair of losses, 8-1, 13-5, to their visitors. With eight CL games remaining, HU is sitting eighth in the league standings.

Game one came and went quickly with HU’s only run coming in the fifth when Bree Hines sent a shot up the middle to drive in Carli Tharp who led off with a two-bagger. Spring Arbor, on the other hand, scored in three different frames which included going up 3-0 after their first at bat. The visitors only needed eight hits to get the job done in finding home eight times.

Huntington finished the contest with four hits and on two occasions left at least two stranded as they couldn’t string together enough offense to put a dent into their deficit.

Maddie Turner started the game but wasn’t able to get out of the first inning having given up two hits, three runs and a walk to be charged with the loss.

The Foresters mustered up more offense in the nightcap but didn’t have an answer for SAU’s scoring rampage late in the game to suffer their second loss of the day. Down right away by three, the hosts came alive in the second to go up by two at 5-3.

Jo Walker’s single up the middle drove in Huntington’s first run after which she scored when Maddie Goheen ripped one up the middle too. Kinsie Westerhouse, pinch running for Goheen, then came around to score on another shot up the middle, this time at the bat of Kasey Hickle. Hickle eventually found home on a Gena Moore single right after Hines had posted an RBI-groundout.

HU’s lead was short-lived as the Cougars reclaimed the lead after their at bat in the third. The guests continued to distance themselves by adding five runs to their total in the fifth and then plating two more in the sixth to call it quits one frame early compliments of the mercy rule.

Kinzie Mollenkopf took the loss by surrendering eight hits, eight runs and three walks while striking out one in four inning in the circle.

The Foresters head to Grace on Friday for a twin bill starting at 3:00 p.m.