SOFTBALL

Huntington split its Tuesday twin bill with Grace at Coach Phil Dick Field, rolling to a 7-3 win in the opener before falling 9-4 in the nightcap. With the split, the Foresters claim the season series 3-1 after sweeping the first meeting of Crossroads League play.

With today’s split, HU moves to 20-15 overall, 12-11 in league action. With 13 regular season games remaining, the Foresters are sitting fifth in the CL standings.

Game 1 – Huntington 7, Grace 3
After Grace bookended the scoring with a late two-run homer, the middle innings belonged entirely to Huntington.

The Foresters plated runs in four straight frames beginning in the third, using timely hitting to take control. Kasey Hickle delivered the equalizer with an RBI fielder’s choice before Khloee Gregory gave HU the lead for good in the fourth with a run-scoring single. Carli Tharp followed with a bloop that brought home another to make it 3-1.

The Foresters blew it open in the fifth. Maddie Goheen’s sac fly started the surge before Gregory crushed a two-run homer, her fourth of the year, to highlight a three-run inning. Hickle added an insurance run later to cap a two-RBI day.

At the plate, Huntington racked up 11 hits, including doubles from Makinzie Kline, Hickle and Kailee Bishop. Gregory finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Bishop went 3-for-4 and Hickle added two hits and two RBI. Josslynn Harbert chipped in a pair of hits as well.

In the circle, Kinzie Mollenkopf was in control from start to finish. The right-hander scattered just four hits, struck out three, walked none, and had only given up an unearned run until the late homer in the seventh.

Game 2 – Grace 9, Huntington 4
Huntington struck first in the nightcap, capitalizing on an early error, but Grace answered immediately and then broke things open in the fourth.

A costly defensive miscue opened the door for the Lancers, who piled up six hits in the inning, to score four unearned runs and seize control. Grace struck again in the sixth with a grand slam after three straight singles, stretching the lead to 9-2.

The Foresters didn’t go quietly. Trailing entering the seventh, HU made things interesting as Goheen ripped a two-run single down the right field line to cap a three-RBI game. Goheen led the offense with a 2-for-3 effort, while Makinzie Kline added two hits and two runs scored.

Huntington finished with eight hits and showed patience with three walks, but couldn’t overcome Grace’s 14-hit attack.

Natalie Haselby took the loss after tossing five innings, allowing nine runs (five earned) while striking out three. Bethany Haselby provided a scoreless inning of relief.

Huntington returns to action by resuming its postponed game against Indiana Wesleyan on Friday at 3:00 p.m., picking things back up in the second inning of a scoreless contest.