SOFTBALL

In a 7-6 nail-biter, the Huntington softball team knocked off No. 14 Marian (30-6, 20-4) in Monday’s nightcap, earning a hard-fought split with the visiting Knights. Marian claimed the opener 9-5, but the Foresters bounced back in game two to secure their second Top-15 victory of the season. HU previously edged then-No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan 2-1 earlier this month.

Game two mirrored the opener with Marian’s leadoff hitter Abbey Hofmann going deep to start things off. Despite the rocky beginning, HU starter Karlee Franklin quickly found her rhythm, silencing the Knights’ bats and allowing just three hits over the next four innings.

The Forester offense, meanwhile, came alive, scoring in four straight frames to build a 6-1 cushion. Josslynn Harbert jumpstarted the rally with a two-run single in the second, a lead HU wouldn’t relinquish. Sacrifice flies by Maddie Duvall and Carli Tharp added to the tally, while Harbert struck again in the fourth with an RBI-triple. Khloee Gregory followed with an RBI-double in the fifth to cap the scoring surge.

Marian kept it interesting in the sixth, plating two runs and prompting a pitching change. Tharp, who singled in the bottom half of the inning, later scored on a passed ball, a crucial insurance turned game-winning run.

Reliever Maddie Turner, who also logged four innings in the opener, held off a late Marian rally in the seventh. Despite surrendering two runs, Turner kept her composure with the tying run on first, inducing back-to-back infield popups to notch the save and secure the upset.

Franklin earned the win, striking out five while allowing seven hits, four runs, and one walk.

In game one, Marian flexed their power early, hitting a pair of homers in the first to grab a 3-0 lead. Though HU chipped away, starting with a Kasey Hickle RBI-single in the second, the Knights responded with a three-run third.

The Foresters clawed back with a two-run double by Maddie Duvall and an RBI-single by Gena Moore, cutting the deficit to 6-3. The cat and mouse game continued with Marian edging HU 2-1 over the final three innings, with Duvall driving in her third run of the game on a sixth-inning single.

Kinzie Mollenkopf took the loss, surrendering seven runs on ten hits while striking out two across three innings.

Hickle led HU at the plate in game one, finishing 3-for-4. She was one of four Foresters with multiple hits. The Duvall twins, Maddie and Jess, combined for four hits, with Maddie driving in three runs.

With the split, Huntington moves to 26-11-1 overall and 15-8-1 in Crossroads League play, currently sitting third in the standings. The Foresters head to Taylor on Tuesday with opening pitch slated for 4:00 p.m.