Skip to main content

HU women split twinbill with Marian

Lindsay Shellabarger (left), a senior on the Huntington University softball team, takes a swing in the Foresters’ first game against visiting Marian in a doubleheader on Monday, March 31.
Lindsay Shellabarger (left), a senior on the Huntington University softball team, takes a swing in the Foresters’ first game against visiting Marian in a doubleheader on Monday, March 31. Photo by Steve Clark.

The Huntington University softball team split a doubleheader with visiting Marian on Monday, March 31, pulling off an 8-7 comeback in the first game before falling 4-0 in the second.

In game one, the Foresters were in a 5-1 hole to the Knights going into the bottom of the fourth inning. That's when the bats got hot for Coach Doug Gower's squad, which plated three in the frame to narrow things to 5-4. Huntington then shut out the visitors in the top of the fifth and added four more runs in its half of the inning to snatch away the lead, 8-5.

Marian attempted to rally in the top of the seventh, pushing two across home, but was ultimately denied by Forester hurler Lea Buckenmyer, who threw the game's final 3.1 innings.

Buckenmyer, a freshman, yielded a half-dozen hits and a pair of runs on the way to picking up the win.

Junior Kaitlyn Troyer starred offensively for Huntington, batting in a game-best five runs on two doubles. Senior Katie Knous and freshman Natalie McGuire also had two base pokes and McGuire scored a contest-high three runs.

The Foresters, 11-8 overall and 4-2 in the Crossroads League, did their damage against Marian pitcher Jordan Geswein, who took the loss after surrendering nine hits and eight earned runs with four walks and a strikeout in five innings of work. Chelsey Hartman threw a scoreless inning as Geswein's relief.

Senior Marcie McDougle tossed the first 3.2 frames for Huntington, giving up 11 hits and five earned runs with two strikeouts.

Allie Foley and Ebby Campbell both homered off McDougle while Hartman and Kristen Tragesser led the Knights' offensive effort with two RBI apiece.

The Knights produced 17 hits to the Foresters' 11 and stranded 10 base-runners to six for the hosts.

Game two saw Marian plate three runners in the top of the first and never look back. The Knights added an insurance tally in the sixth to achieve the split and improve to 11-9, 5-5 in the Crossroads League.

Hope Golden earned the victory for Marian, scattering five hits over a complete game performance while striking out two.

Sophomore Emily Puterbaugh took the loss for Huntington, getting dinged for nine hits and four earned runs in seven innings.