BASEBALL

The HU baseball team wrapped up their time in Tuscaloosa with an 8-7 win over #RV Ottawa Saturday afternoon after dropping a 14-8 decision to the Braves earlier in the day. The split sends the Foresters home with an overall record of 2-6.

Costly errors were the Huntington’s demise in the opener. Their four blunders resulted in six unearned runs which proved the difference in the game. The Braves made the Foresters pay right away by scoring seven runs, three unearned, before HU finally touched home four times in the bottom of the third.

While both teams scored in three of the final four frames, the Braves found home at a higher rate to pull away for a third straight win over Huntington.

Offensively, Frame’s crew brought big bats to the contest. Ian McCutcheon blasted two out of the park to account for three runs. Satchell Wilson and Jarret Gray also went yard, both of which were solo shots. Gray logged a second RBI in the seventh with a run-scoring base poke to right.

The Foresters finished with ten hits to the Ottawa’s 13 with Wilson and Gray each posting three hits.

Joey Butz took the loss for HU having spent the first three innings on the mound where he gave up seven hits, seven runs and one walk while striking out six.

Just like the previous three outings between these two squads, the nightcap started with the Braves putting points on the board first. This time around OU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but HU countered swiftly.

Behind a three-run bomb by Langston Ginder, the Foresters erupted for five runs in their first at bat to climb on top 5-2 after the first inning of play and stayed there the rest of the way.

Gray continued his tear at the plate with an RBI-single in the first and then another solo shot in the fifth, his second dinger of the series. McCutcheon added a run-scoring double in the second for his fourth RBI of the day and then scampered home on a wild pitch while HU’s other run came by way of an Ottawa error.

HU finished with six hits to Ottawa’s seven. Errors haunted both teams. Each squad committed a pair which, along with a few passed balls, resulted in a combined seven unearned runs in the contest.

Graham Kollen tossed the first 2.1 frames to earn the win. The freshman hurler gave up three hits, five runs, only one of which was earned, and four walks. Three other Foresters spent time on the bump with McCutcheon working the last out to pick up the save.  With the tying run on first and two outs in the seventh, the Huntington native struck out the final batter to preserve the win.

HU heads to Kentucky next weekend for a four-game series with Georgetown.