MARION, Ind. (Photos) -- In the nightcap of the doubleheader the Indiana Wesleyan University baseball team defeated Huntington 3-2 to manage a split on Tuesday at Wildcat Field.
Uncharacteristic play from the Wildcats in the first game led to a 9-2 victory for Huntington. IWU committed five errors which led to six unearned runs.
In the second game, Indiana Wesleyan trailed early as Huntington scored a pair of runs in the second inning. IWU trimmed the deficit in half with a run in the fourth. Quinn Nofziger reached first on an error and then took second on a steal. With two outs in the inning Craig Dollens singled to right center field for the RBI.
The Wildcats (13-11-1, 8-2 CL) plated two more in the fifth inning to gain a 3-2 advantage. All the happenings in the frame began after the first two batters were retired. Josh Ellis and Caleb Birkey each had two-out singles and Jacob Murphy walked to load the bases. Nofziger followed with a two-run single to shallow right field for the game-winning hit.
Shane Bryant pitched a complete game for the win. Both runs were earned as he scattered six hits and one walk in 7.0 innings while striking out five. Over the final five innings Bryant allowed just three hits.
In the opening game it was Indiana Wesleyan that started the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. IWU loaded the bases with no outs when Brice Davis hit a 6-4-3 double play that AJ Harris scored on. Dollens came through for the first of two times on Tuesday with a clutch two-out RBI as he singled home Murphy for the 2-0 advantage.
Huntington (5-13, 5-3 CL) would rebound in the next half inning with their first run to cut the lead in half at 2-1. HU would score in each of the next three innings as well with two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings and four more in the seventh.
Cody Jones started on the mound and lasted 5.1 innings while allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Justin Sovine, Jordan Crabb, and Jon Keesling would pitch the final 1.2 innings in relief and the trio surrendered five runs, with only one being earned.
Dollens and Preston Fugita each had two hits in the loss while Murphy and Harris each singled and scored. Huntington outhit IWU 8-7 in the game.
Indiana Wesleyan and Huntington will conclude their season series on Thursday with a doubleheader at Huntington. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
