SOFTBALL

Playing their last home doubleheader of the season, the HU softball team split with Bethel Wednesday afternoon. The two squads faced each other last Thursday with the same outcome to wrap up the regular season series 2-2.

Abigail Reed and Kiera Stacy knocked in all of HU’s run in the opener to pace the hosts to a 7-2 win. Stacy kicked things off in the second frame by doubling in a pair of runs for an early 2-0 advantage.

The pair were both at it in the third. After Courtney Mason led off with a single through the left side, Reed launched one over center field fence for a two-run homer. Stacy repeated her second inning antics with another RBI-double to up the score to 5-0.

The fourth saw Bethel finally score but Reed made sure her team still won the frame with another two-run smack, this time a single to left center that drove in Breanna Hines who led off with a two-bagger and Mason who drew a walk.

The Pilots got one back in the seventh by way of a one-out walk with bases loaded. With bases still loaded, freshman pitcher Maddie Turner worked her way out of the pinch by working a flyout and then striking out the final out to call it quits and notch the complete-game win.

Turner finished with four strikeouts while giving up seven hits, two runs and two walks.

Reed finished 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI. Stacy added a pair of hits and three RBI while Hines posted two base pokes.

Bethel opened up a 3-0 lead on the way to tallying a 4-2 win in the nightcap. Errors plagued the Foresters in the third with a high price tag of two unearned runs. The guests added another run in the top of the fifth matched by Jenessa Hasty’s RBI-single in the bottom of the frame.

HU (14-27, 12-18) pulled within one at 3-2 compliments of Adelyn Harsh’s run-scoring double in the sixth but their offensive dried up after that as Bethel extended the lead back two in the seventh to which Ehler’s crew had no answer.

Harsh went this distance to be tagged with the loss after giving up six hits, four runs and four walks while striking out eight.

Huntington finished with one more hit than BU with Audrey Barnes collecting two base pokes.

It’s a busy week for the Foresters as today was the first of four doubleheaders on four consecutive days. Next up is a road trip to Saint Francis tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.