UPLAND, Ind. – It took 11 innings for 3rd-seeded Saint Francis to eventually top the 4th-seeded Huntington baseball team, 7-6, on opening day of the Crossroads League Tournament Thursday evening at Taylor University’s Winterholter Field.
It was tit for tat most of the contest with the Cougars having the final say. A USF solo homer in the first was matched by Jordan Malott’s solo shot in the second. USF would surge ahead by two in the third at 3-1. After four quiet frames, the two squads started trading blows again.
Down to their last four outs, the Foresters perked up when Malott crushed another ball out of the park, this time with two runners on for a three-run bomb well over the left center field fence. The lead briefly swung back in Huntington’s favor until Nick Parsons’ might swing sent one over the center field fence for a three-run dinger in the bottom of the eighth to give USF the lead again at 6-4.
HU had to make up two runs in the ninth and got incredibly creative in doing so. Ryne Wheeler recorded Huntington’s only hit of the inning, a single to left. His base poke came on either side of a walk. With bases loaded, Gregory Nolasco Berroa drew another base on balls to walk in a run, pulling his team within one. With ice in his veins, Matt Wolff did the same to draw things even for a second time and force extra innings.
Saint Francis finally repaid the Foresters in the eleventh when they too loaded the bases with a single sandwiched by a pair of walks setting the stage for Sam Pesa’s walk-off walk.
Malott finished with two homers and four RBI to lead HU at the plate. RJ Anglin gave up the final two walks to be charged with the loss.
HU (29-20) will look to bounce back tomorrow at 2:30 when they face top-seeded Taylor.