Huntington Stung Late in Game One, Drop nightcap

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - The No. 16 Huntington baseball team came up short in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, falling 10-9 and 10-3, to University of Saint Francis at Forest Glen.

After splitting Thursday's matchups, the Cougars claimed the series 3-1, using a controversial ninth inning in the opener and steady offense in game two to secure the edge.

Game 1 – Saint Francis 10, Huntington 9
Game one delivered plenty of drama - and a tough finish for the Foresters.

With Huntington holding an 8-7 lead in the ninth, what appeared to be a game-ending call was overturned, shifting momentum to the Cougars who capitalized with three runs after that to steal a 10-9 win.

The Foresters had battled back all afternoon. After building a 3-1 lead through five, HU suddenly found itself trailing 7-3 following a six-run Cougar outburst in the sixth.

Huntington answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by Owen Willard's RBI double down the left field line.

The comeback continued in the seventh when a wild pitch brought home the tying run before HU took the lead in the eighth. Pinch hitter Johnnie Ankenbruck delivered in the clutch, ripping a single through the right side to give the Foresters an 8-7 advantage heading into the final frame.

At the plate, Huntington made the most of limited contact, recording just six hits compared to nine for Saint Francis, but working an impressive 11 walks to keep pressure on the Cougars' staff. The Foresters left 13 runners stranded, a number that ultimately loomed large.

Keifer Wilson led the way as the lone Forester with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 while drawing three walks. He also provided late-game fireworks with a two-out solo homer to left-center in the ninth to pull HU within one. Cam Clarkson drove in a team-best three runs, while courtesy runner Parker Richards made the most of his opportunities, scoring three times.

On the mound, Dylan Eggl was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs in the ninth.

Game 2 – Saint Francis 10, Huntington 3
Saint Francis carried its momentum into the nightcap, striking early and often.

The Cougars plated a run in the first and added three more in the second to take control early, eventually finishing with 14 hits in the contest.

Huntington leveled things up with a run in the bottom of the first as Jace Fowler came around to score on a wild pitch after reaching on an error, but the Foresters struggled to string together offense from there.

HU didn't break through again until the seventh when Owen Imel sparked a late push. The sophomore laced a triple to right-center to plate a run before later scoring on a Wilson groundout.

Imel led the Foresters with two hits, finishing with a double and a triple, while Cam Clarkson and Owen Willard each recorded a hit as HU was limited to four total.

Kai Newman took the loss after surrendering four runs over the first two innings. The bullpen covered the remaining frames, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Up Next
With the losses, Huntington moves to 23-8 overall and 13-7 in Crossroads League play. The Foresters return to Forest Glen on Thursday to host Goshen with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 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. Huntington has a top quartile ranking in the 2026 U.S. News Best Regional Universities Midwest Rankings.