Goshen, Ind. – The Forester baseball team erupted for 19 runs in their opener against Goshen Thursday afternoon at J. Harold "Sarge" Yoder Baseball Field to claim a 19-8 run-rule victory that was cut two innings short. It went from feast to famine as game two saw the hosts outlast Frame's crew 3-2.
HU cranked out a season-best 19 hits to match their season-tying 19 runs with four Foresters successfully swinging for the fences, accounting for eight of their runs. The homerun fest started in the third with a pair of two-run bombs by Bryce Deckman and Ryne Wheeler. Beldon Glasgow sent one over the centerfield fence, a solo shot, early in the seventh with Dylan Rost's three-run dinger capping off the frame and putting the finishing touches on the skunk as 11 runs separated the two squads after his big at-bat.
Rost also knocked in a run with his fielder's choice in the fourth on his way to a two-hit, four-RBI outing. Wheeler drove in four runs too which included his two-run homer and a pair of RBI-singles. In addition to Glasgow's four-bagger, he doubled in a run to boast two run-scoring hits for the game.
The contest also saw Zach Pelletier bring two runs home on a single into right. Cam Clarkson hammered out three hits which included an RBI-single.
The Maple Leafs started their scoring in the fourth but by then the game was already out of reach as the guests had already put 14 runs on the board. RJ Anglin earned the win on the bump. He struck out six while giving up five hits, six runs which included one unearned and five walks in 4.1 innings of work.
The nightcap was night and day for Frame's crew. After unleashing for 19 runs in the opener, it was radio silence for HU until the seventh when they finally found home twice but unfortunately it wouldn't be enough to sneak off the field with another victory.
Graham Kollen struck out more than half the batters he faced but it wouldn't be enough to will his team to the win. He had to settle for the loss despite having racked up 14 strikeouts against just one free pass. The 6-3 right-hander scattered four hits but one was a doozy, a three-run blast in the opening frame that accounted for all of GC's runs.
Huntington's late-game rally featured Glasgow's two-out, two-run double. Unfortunately, the Foresters left the tying run stranded on third as Goshen closer Giacomo Padilla coaxed an infield pop-up to slam the door shut on HU's hopeful ending.
Huntington (14-18, 9-13) is back at Goshen tomorrow for their second twin bill against the Maple Leafs. Open pitching is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 160 NAIA All-America honors and 567 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.
