BASEBALL

The HU baseball team squared off against Saint Francis (12-6, 2-2) on Saturday to win the opener, 6-5, before coming up short, 6-1, in the nightcap to split the regular season series 2-2 with the Cougars.

With this split, Huntington’s record stands at 4-8 overall which includes a 2-2 record in CL play.

HU rallied in their last two at bats in game one to eventually eke out the win. It was Jaden Deel’s sacrifice fly in the ninth that proved the game-winner.

Prior to the freshman’s heroics, the Foresters used a two-run eighth to surge in front of USF, 5-4, for their first lead of the afternoon. Kellen Kelsheimer, after reaching base on a third strike wild pitch, scampered home on a Cougar error. Following back-to-back singles, Satchell Wilson made it three straight with a shot to left to knock in run number two of the frame.

Saint Francis fired back in their half of the inning to knot things up at fives, but Tyler Papenbrock made sure USF didn’t match HU in the ninth by working three straight outs, two of which were strikeouts, to earn the win on the hill. The rookie hurler needed just 14 pitches to get the job done and tally his second W of the series.

The Foresters more than doubled up USF in hits, 13-6, with the top of the order accounting for all but four base pokes. Langston Ginder, batting in HU’s two-hole, went 3-for-4 at the plate and notched an RBI while Lichty, Wilson and Matt Wolff finished with two hits apiece.

While HU enjoyed a slight advantage in hits, 5-4, in the nightcap, the Cougars made the most of their opportunities to cruise to the win. Collin Landrum, a former Forester, came up with the day’s biggest swing, a three-run blast in the fifth, to blow the game open at 5-0. Jarret Gray finally got HU on the board in the sixth with an RBI-single before Saint Francis got one back in their half of the frame to keep it a five-run game.

In addition to Gray’s run-scoring smack, Wolff added two more hits to his afternoon tab while Lichty and Ginder each added a hit to round out Huntington’s offense.

Joey Butz tossed the first three frames, giving up two hits, two runs and five walks while striking out five, to be charged with the loss.

Frame and crew head to Taylor next weekend for a four-game series with the Trojans.