HU lives to fight another day with epic 9th inning comeback

UPLAND, Ind. - No one at Winterholter Field, regardless of which team you were cheering for, will soon forget the epic 9-6 comeback by the 4th-seeded HU baseball team over top-seeded and host Taylor Friday afternoon on day two of the Crossroads League Tournament.

Down to their last out, the Foresters rattled off seven runs in the ninth to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 9-4 advantage. HU sent 12 batters to the plate with Kade Flores kicking off the rally with a single to left. Fast forward a hit batter and two outs later and so began the barrage of runs.

Jordan Malott worked a work to load the bases after which Sebastian Kuhns tied things up when he ripped one down the left field line for a clutch two-run single. Dylan Rost drove in the go ahead run with another single to the left side of the field. An infield error kept the rally alive and then the HU dugout celebrations continued when Parker Richards and Bryce Deckman each recorded run-scoring singles to the tune of three more runs to wrap up the unforgettable comeback.

When all was said and done, the visitors plated seven runs in the frame on six hits, a walk, hit batter and error. The Trojans had one last at bat and managed to get two back before RJ Anglin worked the final two outs to notch the save.

Graham Kollen earned the hard fought win on the mound. He tossed the first 8.1 innings and surrendered 12 hits, six runs and a walk while striking out three.

Huntington's first run was a gutsy play in the first. Gregory Nolasco Berroa stole home on the fourth ball of a walk that the TU catcher wasn't able to cleanly come up with. The junior left fielder then knocked in HU's second run with an RBI-single in the fifth.

Today's win is HU's 30th of the season against 20 losses. It's another elimination game tomorrow at 2:30 when the Foresters take on Marian.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 154 NAIA All-America honors and 501 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.