SOFTBALL

The Forester softball team bounced back in dramatic fashion Thursday evening, earning a 4-3 walk-off win in extra innings over Spring Arbor in game two of a doubleheader. The comeback victory salvaged the day after a 4-1 loss in the opener.

Trailing 3-0 through five innings of game two, Huntington sparked a rally in the sixth. Gabrielle Hypes got the scoring started with an RBI-groundout, followed by RBI-singles from Khloee Gregory and Kasey Hickle to tie the game at 3-3.

The heroics continued into extra innings. Carli Tharp led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, promptly stole second and advanced to third on Hickle’s hit up the middle. Josslynn Harbert delivered the final blow, ripping a walk-off single into right field to score Tharp and complete the comeback.

Karlee Franklin earned the win in relief, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings. She scattered four hits, walked none and struck out three.

Game one told a different story. Despite jumping ahead with a third-inning RBI-single from Gena Moore, Huntington’s offense was stifled the rest of the way. Spring Arbor answered with two runs in the fourth and added a pair of insurance runs via a fifth-inning home run.

The Foresters left nine runners on base in the loss, including a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the sixth that came up empty.

Kinzie Mollenkopf took the loss, giving up seven hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out four.

With the split, Huntington moves to 27-14-1 overall and 16-11 in Crossroads League play. The Foresters are back in action Saturday when they travel to Goshen. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.